Launch Canada Report for 2025
Launch Canada wrapped its fourth annual student rocketry competition with our biggest year yet: ~500 students, volunteers, and partners gathered in Timmins and on the lands of Mattagami First Nation for two days of conference programming and a record 100 rocket activities in the field (launches, static fires, certifications). Teams set Canadian student milestones, including a 66,000-ft altitude flight, Canada’s first clustered hybrid student launch, and major advances in liquid and regeneratively-cooled engines. Beyond the range, Launch Canada’s outreach with Science Timmins, Northern College, and Mattagami First Nation brought dozens of local students to build and fly rockets – many for the first time – helping demystify aerospace and grow Canadian talent. With industry supporters such as MDA Space, Pratt & Whitney Canada, and others, Launch Canada is building hands-on systems engineering experience and pathways into Canada’s space sector. We’re already preparing for our fifth competition in 2026 -see you on the flight line!
2025 Winners
• Launch Challenge – Basic: 1) ÉTS, 2) Queen’s University, 3) McMaster University
• Launch Challenge – Advanced: 1) Polytechnique Montréal, 2) University of Waterloo, 3) McGill University
• TechDev Challenge: 1) ÉTS, 2) Queen’s University, 3) University of Ottawa
• Payload Challenge (CSS $2,500): McMaster University (360° semi-deployable camera payload)
• Spirit Bear (Community & Sportsmanship): University of Saskatchewan
• Grand Prize – Launch: Polytechnique Montréal
• Grand Prize – TechDev (Innovation): ÉTS
As Site Communications Lead for Launch Canada 2025, I had the privilege of overseeing the critical communications infrastructure that kept our entire operation connected across the expansive launch site and recovery terrain. Working alongside our generous sponsor ICOM and a dedicated team of volunteers, we deployed a comprehensive radio and data network featuring multiple repeaters, communication masts, towers, and networking equipment. This infrastructure ensured reliable site-wide communications for both Launch Canada personnel and student teams throughout the two-day competition, enabling successful rocket launches and timely recoveries before sunset each day.
One of our key innovations this year was designing and constructing custom UHF towers specifically for road control operations. These towers proved invaluable for coordinating safety protocols across the site. Looking ahead to 2026, we’re already refining this system and developing comprehensive radio training and etiquette programs tailored to our various operational teams—from road control and launch operations to general communications and launch control officers.
The communications network we built exemplifies the collaborative spirit of Launch Canada, bringing together industry support, volunteer expertise, and innovative problem-solving to create the infrastructure that makes record-breaking achievements possible. It’s this kind of behind-the-scenes systems work that enables 500+ participants to safely push the boundaries of Canadian student rocketry.
Wintta Ghebreiyesus
Toronto Metropolitan University
Our Launch Control Officer (LCO) stand and one of two of Jocans. Pictured here is our radio tower setup with a repeater for launch operations and a base radio and PA for Chris Hobbs, our Solids LCO. You might also see a starlink in the foreground (left) for local internet access for limited personnel, mainly our livestream crew.
Suwethika Loganathan (LC volunteer from Seneca College) and I on Road Control North duties with a radio in hand. We’re donning the ever-so-fashionable high-vis hats for road control. At road control, we ensure that vehicles and people do not enter the ballistic zones during rocket launches.
This is one of our Ultra High Frequency (UHF) tower and antenna setup at road control east. This will allow us to communicate via FRS on a local road control net with all the checkpoints.
Another glorious shot of the LCO stand at solids.