How this teen sent a homemade rocket soaring to 400m

**How This Teen Sent a Homemade Rocket Soaring to 400m**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Sep 22, 2025, 08:00 pm*

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**What’s the story?**

Zhang Shijie, an 18-year-old from Hunan province in central China, has achieved a remarkable feat by successfully launching a homemade rocket to an altitude of 400 meters. Using inexpensive materials and basic tools, Zhang showcased extraordinary ingenuity and dedication.

His fascination with rocketry began at the age of 14 when he witnessed a live rocket launch with his father—a moment that ignited his passion.

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**Educational Path and Early Learning**

Despite coming from a humble village background, Zhang’s curiosity and hard work paved the way for his acceptance into the aerospace engineering program at Shenyang Aerospace University. His education in rocketry was largely self-driven, fueled by watching DIY rocket construction videos on short video platforms.

Long Yanjiao, Zhang’s school teacher, remarked that the internet played an “immensely helpful” role in nurturing his interest, especially given the limited resources available at their village school.

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**Resourcefulness in Rocket Building**

Determined to succeed, Zhang utilized a second-hand laptop given by his sister to dive into science innovation forums and research. He started by scraping nitrate from his family’s pigsty to create fuel. Later, with knowledge gained from school about filtration, he began producing purer fuel from fertilizers.

Zhang experimented with affordable materials such as PVC tubes and cement for making rocket engines. Although many early attempts failed, his persistence never waned.

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**The Breakthrough Launch**

On his birthday in June 2023, Zhang invited his father and classmates to witness his first test rocket launch. Unfortunately, rain caused the first attempt to fail. Undeterred, he tried again the following day—with success.

After more than 100 trials, Zhang developed four types of engines, several single-stage rockets, and a two-stage rocket capable of reaching 400 meters in altitude.

His school recognized his dedication and supported him with financial aid of CNY 3,500 (approximately USD 4300) to assist with his project expenses.

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**Financial Support and Future Aspirations**

To fund his rocketry passion, Zhang sold some of his creations to local institutions and used the earnings to repay loans from classmates who helped finance his work.

His family has been a pillar of support. His father works as a ride-sharing driver, while his mother is employed as a nanny in another city.

Looking ahead, Zhang’s ultimate dream is to design a real rocket—a goal he hopes to accomplish through his university education and continued determination.

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Zhang Shijie’s story is an inspiring testament to how passion, resourcefulness, and community support can propel even the most modest beginnings toward extraordinary achievements in science and engineering.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/chinese-teen-builds-rocket-from-scrap-materials-reaches-400m-altitude/story

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