Student rocketry team launches Canada’s first liquid rocket

Waterloo Rocketry, a student design team from the University of Waterloo, achieved a historic milestone in Canadian aerospace with the successful launch of Borealis the first-ever Canadian liquid bi-propellant rocket.

Powered by a bi-propellant mixture of ethanol and nitrous oxide, the rocket reached an altitude of 19,212 feet and achieved a top speed of 1,646 km/h (1.3 times the speed of sound) before parachuting safely back to the ground.

Designed entirely by students, the Borealis showcases the team’s advanced engineering capabilities accumulated over 13 years of shared expertise, skills and learnings passed on to new members.

“We ran into so many issues this year, failed tests, ruined hardware, assembly difficulty, but we managed to pull it together when it counts,” said Tessa Pugh, a second-year mechanical engineering student and Waterloo Rocketry team co-lead. “The team right now is super young, I'm excited to see what we manage to develop next year and beyond.”

The team plans to continue building bigger and better liquid bi-propellant rockets, with sights set on higher altitudes, more complex payloads, and continued learning to further propel the Canadian aerospace industry into the global aerospace arena.

The Borealis launch took place on August 20, 2024, at the third annual Launch Canada event held just outside Timmins, ON.

“It was an amazing experience, I spoke to so many people from other teams and I got to know my own team so much better,” said Holt Gray, a first-year mechanical engineering student.

“It’s a lot of work to launch a rocket, but it’s absolutely worth it when you see the rocket fly off the pad. The feeling of seeing the blood, sweat, and tears you have poured into something come to fruition can’t be put into words. The only thing on my mind right now is getting back to work to make a new rocket for next year!”

This accomplishment positions Waterloo as a leading institution in Canadian student rocketry, joining a select group of universities globally that have successfully launched liquid engine rockets.