Waterloo’s student rocketry team breaks a world record

The University of Waterloo Rocketry Team launched Polaris, a liquid bi-propellant rocket, at the 2026 Launch Canada Challenge in Timmins, Ontario this week. The student team watched as their hard work soared to an altitude of 63,497 feet, breaking the previous world record of 56,590 feet. 

“Seeing the rocket launch was an experience that I cannot put into words,” says Niva Patel, a second-year Mechanical Engineering student and future technical lead on the rocketry team. “The moments before launch were the most stressful of my life, but witnessing Polaris soar into the air, hearing the callout confirming we broke the world record, and watching the parachutes deploy with the entire team cheering was unforgettable.” 

Polaris is 17 feet long and weighs 300 pounds fully fuelled. This year’s design featured an upgraded rocket recovery system and a more powerful engine.  

“It’s last year’s rocket, but better,” says Patel. "We increased Polaris’s engine thrust to improve the rocket’s initial stability and significantly optimized the vehicle architecture to maximize our altitude. To make absolutely sure we got the vehicle back in one piece, we also heavily reinforced the recovery system, engineering it to withstand ten times the expected deployment forces." 

Liquid bi-propellant rockets are harder to build than solid and hybrid ones, but they are the aerospace industry standard which makes them well worth the challenge. In 2024, the Waterloo Rocketry team built and successfully launched Borealis, the first Canadian liquid bi-propellant rocket to take to the skies.  

In 2025, the team launched Aurora which flew to 38,000 feet, making it the second-highest amateur liquid bi-propellant rocket in the world at the time. Unfortunately, the team was unable to recover Aurora and most of its flight data, but they took that as a learning opportunity to do better. Polaris descended beautifully under a drogue and main parachute – a first for the team – and was recovered safely. The team is already busy analyzing the data recorded from the suite of onboard sensors. 

Now in its 17th year, Waterloo Rocketry has about 100 student members in first through fourth year who come from across campus, representing the faculties of Engineering, Math, Arts and Science.  The team kicks off its first-year student recruitment in September and work on the new rocket begins immediately. 

“Our success is built on years of consistent incremental improvements and carefully reigned in ambition,” says Luca Scavone, a fourth-year Systems Design Engineering student and Waterloo Rocketry team co-lead. “Each rocket launch is testament to our accumulated knowledge and expertise — an invaluable team resource that we share with new members to carry the work forward.” 

The tight team culture extends to its alumni with an active Slack channel that keeps current and past members connected and provides ongoing support like technical advice, funds and co-op and employment opportunities. Scavone is heading to an internship at SpaceX this fall, Patel is starting a co-op work term at the Canadian Space Agency, and recent graduates now work at SpaceX, the Canada Rocket Company and RocketLab. 

The team also credits the University’s support system for their success in the field. As part of the Sedra Student Design Centre, they have access to enviable resources and facilities that include space, tools, equipment, world-class instructors and the machine shop. Ryan Cadeau and Les Ankucza, machine shop technicians, and  Graeme Adair, Student Design Centre manager, provide immeasurable assistance throughout the year. Support from donors like Stein Industries Inc. and the Waterloo Engineering Endowment Foundation (WEEF) helps fund the team’s specialized equipment and travel needs.  

“This is a really hard engineering challenge,” Patel says. “My favourite part is working through it all together as a team and making an impossible challenge possible.” 

The experience has also had an unexpected impact on how Patel sees her coursework with the practical experience of design and integration improving her understanding of classroom topics, ranging from calculus to fluids and thermodynamics.  

Go to Student rocketry fires up with an advanced engine design and learn more about the Waterloo Rocketry team. 

Get in touch with the Waterloo Rocketry team if you’d like to join or support their work. 

Images supplied by the Waterloo Rocketry Team.