News | Njord Challenge

Eight NTNU student organisations working with satellites, rockets, drones, jet engines and autonomous vessels met with NORDSEC, Ocean Autonomy Cluster, ESA BIC and Fremtidens Industri in Trondheim. The meeting focused on collaboration, opportunities within the clusters and how the organisations can make their projects and achievements more visible. There is no shortage of ambition among the student organisations at NTNU. They design, build and test technology that takes them far beyond the classroom, and several have made headlines with major achievements over the past year. Selina Bolme, Peder Lillelien, Charlotte Schreiner and Julie Neef from Team Ascend NTNU. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Towards air and space Ascend NTNU develops autonomous aerial robotics and builds drones for international competitions, while Jet NTNU is taking on the challenge of developing its own turbojet engine. Founded in June 2026, Jet is Norway’s first student-run jet engine organisation. Its first project, Jotun, is being developed from the ground up, covering everything from the compressor and combustion system to the turbine, nozzle, electronics and data acquisition. Propulse NTNU successfully launched Fossekall from Spaceport Trøndelag at Tarva this summer. The 5.2-metre liquid-fuelled rocket is the eighth developed by Propulse and the organisation’s most ambitious and technically advanced to date. More than 70 students spent nearly a year designing, manufacturing and testing it, with much of the technology developed by the students themselves. See also: Ascend NTNU feirer 10 år: Avduker dronesverm Launch of Propulse NTNU's rocket Fossekall July 2026. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Orbit NTNU reached another milestone on 5 September when FramSat-1 was launched into orbit from Andøya Spaceport aboard Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket. The satellite is designed and built by students and will collect data from a Norwegian-developed sun sensor in orbit. Orbit confirmed contact with FramSat-1 following the launch. “Collaboration and shared meeting places are extremely useful for fostering new ideas, networks and innovative solutions. I hope we will have more opportunities to meet,” says Helga Therese Tomaszewski Vrenne, CEO of Orbit NTNU. See also: Propulse NTNU successfully launches rocket Fossekall from Tarva Orbit NTNU's cubesat FramSat-1 was launched on 5 September aboard Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket as part of the company’s Onward and Upward mission. Photo: Isar Aerospace Ascend, Jet, Orbit and Propulse NTNU are all members of NORDSEC, connecting the student teams with companies and organisations working within defence, security and dual-use technology. Being part of this network gives us unique opportunities to exchange knowledge and connect with the industry. These cross-disciplinary meeting places are valuable for inspiring our members and driving technological innovation, says Selina Bolme, Leader Team 27, Ascend NTNU. See also: Orbit NTNU’s FramSat-1 successfully launched from Andøya Advanced maritime autonomy for the future Eight NTNU student organisations working with satellites, rockets, drones, jet engines and autonomous vessels met with NORDSEC, Ocean Autonomy Cluster, ESA BIC and Fremtidens Industri in Trondheim. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Helga Therese Vrenne, Arun Rethnam Haug, Tara Linnea Edvardsen and Aina Karine Eid-Larssen from Team Orbit NTNU. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri More opportunities for collaboration The purpose of the meeting was to bring the student organisations closer to the companies, research institutions and technology communities in and around NORDSEC and Ocean Autonomy Cluster. The students also received information about opportunities through the clusters, upcoming events and other arenas where they can meet industry and potential partners. Communication was another topic. The organisations discussed how they can do more to showcase their projects through news stories, social media and newsletters, and how the communication channels of the clusters and their partners can help their work reach a wider audience. We have an ambitious mission ahead. Therefore, a strong network of manufacturers and technical partners is critical. NORDSEC provides a platform that can help us accelerate our progress towards achieving the goal of developing and testing our jet engine, designed and built from scratch,» says Daniel Stordahl, Jet NTNU Team Marinor NTNU, Jonas Aanensen, Vegard Hovstad and Andreas Fürst. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Several of the organisations already met industry through Forsvarskonferansen in September. Orbit, Ascend, Propulse and Jet NTNU were part of the NTNU community at the conference, presenting student-developed technology alongside other NTNU environments. The meeting also looked ahead to the Norwegian-Ukrainian Defence and Dual-Use Tech Meet-up in November, Dark Drones in January, the next hackathon in March and Forsvarskonferansen in September. Each year, Njord NTNU hosts Njord - The Autonomous Ship Challenge in Trondheim. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Representing NORDSEC, Ocean Autonomy Cluster, ESA BIC and Fremtidens Industri at the meeting were Frode Halvorsen, Linda Hald, Leonora Lund and Lars Bugge Aarset. With satellites in orbit, rockets launched from Tarva and new projects underway in air, space and the ocean, the student organisations represent an impressive part of Trondheim’s technology community. The meeting was about making it easier for them to meet each other and industry, share experience and find new opportunities to collaborate. See also: Njord Autonomous Ship Challenge sets new participation record Team Jet NTNU

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