[pageLogInLogOut]

#Research & Development

CARL: First successful flight of a full composite rocket "made in Aachen" at EuRoC 2020

CARL launch© 2020 ITA Aachen / Space Team Aachen
Space Team Aachen receives Newcomer Award for good performance and short development time of CARL.

Space Team Aachen successfully launched its first high-performance CARL rocket EuRoC 2020 in Ponte de Sor, Portugal, on 24 October 2020

The EuRoC – European Rocketry Challenge is an inter-university competition which is similar to the well-known Spaceport America Cup (SA Cup). It was organised and hosted for the first time by the Portuguese Space Agency. 11 teams took part. The Space Team Aachen with the CARL rocket was one of four teams able to launch a technically functional rocket before the deadline. CARL consists of a full composite body designed and developed by students from Aachen. With a payload of 2530 grams and a top speed of approximately 0.57 Mach (196 metres per second), CARL reached the planned flight altitude of 1960 metres. The entire system was designed, manufactured and launched in less than a year.

Descent after main parachute is triggered © 2020 ITA Aachen / Space Team Aachen
Descent after main parachute is triggered © 2020 ITA Aachen / Space Team Aachen



This was driven forward by innovative technologies from the two RWTH institutes Institute for Structural Mechanics and Lightweight Design, short SLA, and Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA). The rocket body tubes and the rocket nose cone were manufactured using multi-supply filament winding technology. Tailored fibre placement was used to produce unique interchangeable fins. They are unique because detachable connections were integrated into the composite material during the manufacturing process.

Thanks to the successfully implemented parachute recovery system, CARL landed on the ground without damage and is now ready for a new challenge. Space Team Aachen plans to participate in the SA Cup 2021 and to develop hybrid rocket systems in Aachen, Germany.


More News from Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA)

#Techtextil 2026

Smart textiles can also be sustainable, eco-friendly and AI-powered – ITA at Techtextil 2026

Sports shoes made from algae, leggings made from mushrooms, filtering (diesel) oil from water, 4D textiles, recyclable, sustainable and featuring AI – this is what the ITA Group is presenting at three individual stands run by ITA Aachen, ITA Augsburg gGmbH and ITA Technologietransfer GmbH on the joint stand of Elmatex in hall 12.0 D05.

#Research & Development

Textilfabrik 7.0 launched: Mönchengladbach becomes a real-world lab for sustainable textile production

With the official kick-off event of the Textilfabrik 7.0 (T7), a major transformation project for the German textile and apparel industry has been launched in the Monforts Quarter in Mönchengladbach. At the “Textile Roundtable,” an event format organized by the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier, representatives from industry, research, politics, and the regional economy came together to jointly lay the foundation for CO₂-neutral, circular, and economically viable textile production in Germany.

#Composites

More affordable, environmentally friendly hydrogen pressure tanks at ITA-JEC booth

As a highlight of the JEC, the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University will be presenting hydrogen pressure tanks manufactured using multifilament winding processes at the NRW joint booth in Hall 5, Stand G65.

#Research & Development

Pellet press enables thermomechanical textile recycling on a pilot scale at ITA

Since the end of 2025, the technical centre of the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University has been equipped with a pellet press from the manufacturer Amandus Kahl GmbH & Co. KG, Reinbek, Germany. This press can efficiently compact shredded synthetic textiles at a throughput of up to 25 kg/h and process them into pellets with a diameter of 4 mm.

More News on Research & Development

#Techtextil 2026

Stylish design made from sustainable materials – two DITF research projects receive Techtextil Innovation Awards

Materials made from domestic, renewable raw materials reduce CO₂ emissions, prevent microplastics from entering the environment, and close the material cycle. The German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are developing nature-based alternatives to synthetically produced and predominantly petroleum-based materials. Two research projects have received a prestigious Techtextil Innovation Award. NUO Flexholz and the lignin-coated material FormLig demonstrate that sustainable concepts can meet high standards of functionality and design. Both projects were carried out in close collaboration with industry.

#Research & Development

Hohenstein publishes 2025 Sustainability Report

The testing and research service provider Hohenstein has published its latest sustainability report, outlining key progress and strategic initiatives. The report focuses on ambitious CO₂ reduction targets, the company’s new mission statement and the systematic expansion of sustainable services for customers worldwide.

#Techtextil 2026

ITM presents cutting-edge textile research at Techtextil

From April 21 to 24, 2026, the Chair of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology (ITM) at TUD Dresden University of Technology will be presenting its current research at Techtextil, the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens. In Hall 12.0, Stand D41, the team will be demonstrating how it combines high-performance fibers, AI-supported digital development tools and innovative machine technologies to develop textile solutions for lightweight construction, construction, medical technology and sustainable production from atom to product.

#Research & Development

Textile cascade filter for removing microplastics from wastewater

Microplastics are now found almost everywhere, even in remote regions of Antarctica. They enter the human body through the food chain. Studies indicate that microplastics may have negative effects on the human health.

Latest News

#Techtextil 2026

Techtextil & Texprocess 2026: Global benchmark for textile innovation – Performance Apparel Textiles takes centre stage at the opening

With 1,700 exhibitors from 54 countries, Techtextil and Texprocess 2026 showcase the full range of innovation within the international textile industry – from new materials and recycling technologies to finishing solutions and high-performance textile manufacturing and processing technologies. The opening press conference centred on a key theme where innovation is especially strong: Performance Apparel Textiles.

#Recycled Fibers

Circulose and CTA announce collaboration to enable lyocell fibers using CIRCULOSE® pulp

Circulose has announced an agreement with China Textile Academy Green Fibre (CTA) to offer lyocell fibers produced using CIRCULOSE® pulp. Producing lyocell from recycled pulp at commercial scale is an important step in making textile-to-textile recycled materials available across a wider range of textile applications.

#Heimtextil 2027

Heimtextil celebrates Milan Design Week honoring partnerships with Patricia Urquiola and Alcova Milano

Heimtextil is represented at Milan Design Week with its strong design partners Patricia Urquiola and Alcova. At Villa Pestarini, the leading trade fair spotlighted its dynamic collaborations with acclaimed designer Patricia Urquiola and Alcova Milano.

#Texprocess 2026

Kornit Digital expands digital production into footwear and technical textiles with Presto MAX PLUS

Kornit Digital (NASDAQ: KRNT) (“Kornit” or the “Company”), a global pioneer in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production, today unveiled the Kornit Presto MAX PLUS, a new roll-to-roll system expanding digital manufacturing into footwear, automotive interiors, military camouflage, high-performance sportswear, and high-end furnishings. Debuting at Texprocess 2026 in Frankfurt, Presto MAX PLUS enables entirely new applications for on-demand textile production.

TOP