A student design team made up of mostly mechanical engineering students achieved a significant feat in Canadian aerospace with the launch of Borealis—Canada’s first-ever Canadian liquid bi-propellant rocket just outside of Timmins, Ontario, at the third annual Launch Canada event.
Powered by a bi-propellant mixture of ethanol and nitrous oxide, the rocket reached an altitude of 19,212 feet with a top speed of 1,646 km/h before coming back to the ground.
“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.
He continued to say, “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 new accomplishment means that Waterloo is now a leader in Canadian student rocketry, joining a select group of universities around the world in launching liquid-engine rockets.
Go to Student rocketry team launches Canada’s first liquid rocket to learn more. Plus, get a behind-the-scenes look on CTV Kitchener.