Alan Offer

Alan Offer – Monaco’s Youngest Rocket Builder

Only 16 years old, but aiming towards the stars. Meet Alan Offer, the youngest rocket builder in the Principality of Monaco.

“I’m the first crazy man to build rockets in Monaco,” – says Alan Offer, a sixteen-year-old Monégasque student who impressed the audience of the 2nd ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference

Alan Offer
Alan Offer

When did you realize that you were interested in rocket building?

I will tell you a story. My Mother told me that when I was a baby, she would always make me look up at the sky to calm me down. I was just attracted and hypnotized by it. So, I guess, I always felt destined to reach space. And the way I would do it came years later. 

It was in 2019, that I actually thought about building a rocket. I looked on the Internet for some YouTtube videos of amateurs doing it, and I said: Ok, let’s do it. And I became really passionate about it. And it’s that passion that gave me strength to achieve it. 

And also, the passion that gave me the perseverance to never give up, because I have to tell you, I had many problems at the beginning.

Were your parents ever worried about this passion?

Well, I’ll let you imagine what my mother thinks of me dealing with rocket motors in the house… No, I got to say, my parents are awesome. 

At the beginning, they were saying: Yes, sweetheart, that’s amazing, maybe someday; I think they didn’t realize that I was deadly serious. I believe they really understood when ICARUS, my first rocket, ignited its motor and lifted off. That’s where they realized that I build rockets and I want to make a business out of it. 

Now they are 100% supportive and that counts a lot for me. My dad, who studied engineering, also helps me in building the rockets. It’s always a fulfillment to make your parents proud, and I try my best to make them proud by doing what I can do best. 

You cannot be successful in what you do if you are alone. You need family and friends to support you. It’s important.

Alan Offer explains rocket building during the ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference
Alan Offer explains rocket building during the ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference

Do you want to travel to space?

Who doesn’t? I think, deep inside of us, we have the curiosity that makes us wonder what’s up there? Now, who is willing to go see space, it’s another question? I believe, as most rocket builders do, that we create rockets to eventually make them go to space. 

I would love to fly one of my rockets one day when I’m sure it will work. Now, do my mother and girlfriend want to? I’ll let you find the answer. But yes, I absolutely want to fly to space.

The Prince’s Government and France’s National Centre for Space Studies are cooperating to serve the Monegasque economy and preserve the environment.

A framework partnership agreement was signed between the Prince’s Government and the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES) on Tuesday, November 14, at the Ministry of State.

The agreement focuses on the use of space solutions and technologies to support economic development, encourage innovation and contribute to the preservation of the environment.

How do you find rocket building and space education in Monaco?

Well, I’m the first crazy man to build rockets in Monaco. However, there is a company named Orbital Solutions Monaco (OSM), whose team I know, that has built the first Monegasque Satellite. There is also the Bureau of Affaires Spatiale, which represents Monaco as a space state. 

For the educational part, I know that ISM has a class dedicated to space. But in other schools, space is only briefly discussed in one or two chapters of physics. The Space Economy is exponentially growing; we will need more space engineers, so it’s important to create vocations for Monégasque Students. That’s also one of my goals, to educate people about rockets and space engineering by publishing all my work on social media . I’m also planning an online lesson with Mars Academy that will talk about Rocketry. 

Improvements need to be done in Monaco, but it’s in progress. I had the chance for example, to go with my school to the Universal Expo of Dubai to present the Z sat Project, consisting of a partnership with schools and Orbital Solutions Monaco to build a nanosatellite.

Alan Offer has a conversation about rocket building with Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, Managing Director at ispace and Colonel Ron Garan, former NASA Astronaut at the ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference
Alan Offer has a conversation about rocket building with Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, Managing Director at ispace and Colonel Ron Garan, former NASA Astronaut at the ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference

Do you think students are interested in space technology?

From what I saw at ELEVATE, there is a huge number of students interested in space technology. They just need a spark to sustain the fire of space passion. It’s at events like ELEVATE that we do that. And it’s also by educating them about the cosmos also, at a young age. But not with homework or exams but with stories, questioning and practice. 

I learned how to build a rocket through practice and sweat. And I will build the next ones in the same exact way. Again, I know that in Monaco, there are a lot of young space advocates. The more I dig in, the more I find. We should consider ourselves lucky because out of 4 billion years of Earth’s existence, we are born at the beginning of a new adventure through the cosmos and we, everybody can be part of it.

Do you also think that space tourism helps to accelerate the industry?

Well, it will definitely increase awareness about space travel and industry among society. It will become more accessible to reach the sky with less and less training and in a more comfortable manner. To do that, space companies need new technology to upgrade life support systems and comfort in spacecrafts. They will also need a way to pilot the spacecraft without any human interventions. 

For example, by using Artificial Intelligence (AI), to make risky decisions. For sure, it will speed up the space industry for developing colonies in Low Earth Orbit but also on the Moon and Beyond. Space tourism is what will make that possible. Because it will allow us to have a deeper understanding of how large groups of individuals will act in space together. Essential data to expand Humanity elsewhere than Earth. Furthermore, the creation of freshly new start ups will definitely accelerate the growing process whether these companies are collaborating or are in concurrence.

What would you suggest to someone who is scared of the word or uninterested in “space”? 

I believe that nobody explained to those people the importance of space exploration. Otherwise, they would be interested in space. 

First of all, because of the technologies that have been developed by exploring space. GPS, High-speed Internet, Space Blankets, and I heard even for research for the cure of cancer. Secondly, because humanity needs space exploration. What’s the best quality of a human being? Curiosity.

It’s Curiosity that led Christopher Columbus to discover America. It’s Curiosity that made Neil Armstrong walk on the Moon. And it’s Curiosity that will let us explore space in the next decades. We are a species of explorers. We live for exploration and adventure. 

Talking about survival, that’s also why space travel is crucial. As the film “Interstellar” said: “Humanity was born on Earth, but was never meant to die on it”. Even if society is bound by World Peace and carbon emissions decrease , we are susceptible to a mass extinction event like a huge asteroid or even strong solar radiation winds capable of destroying our atmosphere in less than a minute. We need to think about a Plan B for Humankind. And that Plan B is Space Exploration and the development of a Space Colony.

Alan Offer explains rocket building during the ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference
Alan Offer explains rocket building during the ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference

Do you think ELEVATE can help people to understand space technology and sustainability better?

I will tell you another story. In 2019, at a space conference called “Above and Beyond” in Monaco, I had the amazing opportunity to meet Buzz Aldrin, the second Man that stepped foot on the Moon. And that opened my eyes and confirmed that space exploration is what I wanted to do as a job. 

It’s crucial for enthusiasts to meet up at great conferences like ELEVATE to talk to amazing people who can change your view on space, like Ron Garan, Michel Togini or Per Wimmer, who were present at the conference. All speakers had great things to share, and that’s so important to help people understand major challenges of space exploration, such as sustainability.

The sixteen-year-old Alan also took the stage of the ELEVATE Conference where he created a workshop for Monégasque students on how to build and launch a rocket.

Did you like the audience questions at ELEVATE?

Concerning the conference, the content was just amazing and the speakers were just incredible. I loved them. I have to say that the speakers and their subjects were so interesting that everybody had questions to ask. I remember when Ron Garan was speaking and asked if anybody had a question. And then the entire crowd of students and professionals raised their hands. 

I was shocked by the overwhelming number of questions but so happy to see children interested in space. In those three days, I learned so much by listening to professionals speak about their project and inspired me to continue on my path.

It was an amazing pleasure to attend the 2nd Edition of ELEVATE and I thank you again so much Zsolt Szemerszky for offering me this opportunity. I made some great contacts and incredible individuals. Actually, I also received a few concrete propositions for cooperation work.

How did it feel when the next day you were on the cover of Monaco Matin?

Well, I was so thrilled. I could not believe it. And I have to say they made an amazing article about me, and I thank them a lot. What did I really feel? I felt a feeling of change. Of a new milestone achieved. I knew, I was one step forward to achieving my goal. But also, a feeling of assurance. Suddenly, I knew for sure that my work was interesting and I had to keep going. And I’m excited for the next chapter of my journey.

What is your next goal?

Back when I was a child, I kept having a dream: Send Humanity to Mars. That’s impossible, you will tell me if you look at it on a short-term span. But in a longer term, I’m talking about 20 years, it might be possible. And I want to achieve it. I always say: “One step at a time, One Rocket at a time.” You must have a detailed plan for your next step to achieve your final goals. My next step is to convert IMF, from a simple amateur entity – that makes rockets that go from 1-to-2 km high – to a Monaco based business with a team full of passionate individuals to develop technology for space missions.

By technologies, I mean advanced aluminum rockets capable of reaching space with a liquid rocket engine. For that, I need funds and time; I want to make this right. Then I will focus my work on developing technologies to reach Mars.

Alan recently launched his online educational course on Rocket building for marscity.academy to help to unleash the power of curiosity and ignite one’s interest in the fascinating world of rockets.


Read the full and illustrated interview in the Winter 2023 edition of the Living in Monaco, the Monaco Residents’ Magazine.


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