Most art requires at least a modicum of talent but it is hardly rocket science.

Unless, of course, your field of expertise happens to be building vehicles to launch people 6,000ft into the air.

This was the challenge taken up by special effects artist Clare Grotefeld, 29, of St George's Street, Brighton, who was selected to be part of an international team building Europe's second largest amateur rocket for a trick by Hungary's most popular illusionist.

She spent five weeks helping to design and build a 42ft, 1,300lb rocket that could be blasted 6,600ft into the air.

The rocket was made of steel rods and wood and clad in aluminum, with 24 small rocket engines built into its base.

It was assembled at a secret location in England then shipped to Hungary, where the final preparations were made for lift-off.

Hungarian magician David Merlini was sealed inside a pod towards the top of the rocket and had to escape by the time the vessel reached 6,600ft.

He commissioned the rocket and had it made by a group of artists in England, including Clare who had worked for a special effects company after studying silversmithing and metalwork at university.

Clare said: "The work was a combination of engineering, special effects and art. We had to work out the thickness of the materials, the weights and techniques that would make it structurally sound.

"I was involved in designing the structure and working out how it would fly. It was not really scientific but we had to calculate how much power the engine rockets gave off, the weight and how we would make it fly. Now I feel I could do anything. It was one of the most exciting projects I have ever been involved in. The fact it was going to fly was amazing.

"I had made similar large works before but never anything that would have to take off. I was confident throughout that it would work but it was a nail-biting experience. I would definitely do it again - I'm always on the lookout for something challenging and new."

It took five weeks to build the rocket and Clare was nervous something could go wrong as there was no way to test it before it was launched.

She said: "We were anxious that a man was going inside it but the responsibility was his.

"We had slow burning rocket engines that took it slowly up to 2,000m without exploding."

Some 10,000 spectators watched the rocket launch without any technical problems earlier this month and the magician escaped unharmed, floating back to earth on a parachute. But the secret of his escape remains a mystery.

Clare said: "We were all kept in the dark as to how he was going to get out."

Now back in Brighton, Clare has launched Gallery 70 in St George's Street, where she plans to hold exhibitions of artwork by herself and other artists every three months.