Concordia University Students Launch ‘Starsailor’ Rocket from Northern Quebec

Students from Concordia University’s Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science recently launched “Starsailor,” a rocket that a team of over 700 members developed over the past seven years. The mission is a collaboration between the Space Concordia Rocketry Division and the local Cree community of Mistissini.

Starsailor is approximately 13 metres tall and is equipped with a custom-designed engine that can reach speeds of over 7,000 kilometers per hour. The rocket was engineered to cross the Kármán line, a 100-kilometre boundary that defines the edge of space. The team hoped that Starsailor would enter space, but it separated earlier than anticipated, which potentially stifled its ascent. Computer recordings of the flight will indicate how far the rocket travelled.

Starsailor was originally built for a science competition. However, when the competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the students behind the original project set out to make Canadian space history. The rocket’s launch was the first ever mission launched in Quebec and the first in over 25 years to take place on Canadian soil. It is also the most powerful student-built liquid-fueled rocket to have ever been launched toward space. Space Concordia has shared livestream videos and photos of the launch.

The Starsailor mission was made possible by contributions from donors and sponsors including from Lorne Trottier and the Trottier Family Foundation, as well as Gina Cody. Other sponsors include Swagelok Quebec, Durham College, Hammond Manufacturing, Vanguard Steel Ltd, David Lemire and family, Jermac precision, Kanatha-Aki, and Automation Direct.