Vehicle program

Pioneer is the current build.

Designed, machined, wired, and tested by students. Every subsystem is integrated in-house — mechanical, electronics, and operations.

Student-builtBench-testedNo outsourcing

Subsystems

Designed, simulated, assembled, and tested in-house.

MECH

Mechanical

Airframe design, OpenRocket simulations, CFD/FEA validation, recovery-system design, and physical integration. Every part is either machined or justified.

ELEC

Electronics

Custom SRAD avionics, STM32 flight computers, KiCad PCB design, sensors, and telemetry systems. Ground-tested before flight.

OPS

Operations

Sponsorships, budget management, logistics, documentation, and launch coordination. The paperwork is as important as the wiring.

Projects

The work Pioneer has to pass through.

Payload planning, vehicle integration, the Launch Canada judging phases, and competition readiness — tracked from build bench to range day.

01

Payload rideshare

Fifty student-designed picosatellites in a suborbital rideshare simulation — the commercial launch model, at college scale.

02

Vehicle integration

Airframe, recovery, avionics, and operations converging on one launch-ready Pioneer configuration.

03

Judging phases

Design reports, the build-quality interview, range conduct, and flight performance — the Launch Canada phases that assess Pioneer's quality.

04

Launch Canada 2026

Team 06 moving from bench tests and documentation to competition readiness on the range.

Launch Canada judging

Quality is assessed by judges, phase by phase.

At Launch Canada, judges score the design reports, interview the team at the vehicle on build quality, watch operations at the setup area and pad, and grade the flight against the locked-in target. Pioneer is built to pass every phase.

See the judging phases

Range path

Build, test, document, launch, recover.

The program map from bench to range day — each phase is a checkpoint with evidence the team reviews before moving on.

01

Bench build

Machine, wire, and document subsystems before they meet at integration.

02

Subsystem test

Controlled tests with recorded setup, expected result, and actual result.

03

Integration review

Fit checks, interface verification, and recovery-system validation.

04

Range operations

Launch Canada logistics, telemetry capture, and flight-day procedures.

05

Recovery record

Post-flight inspection, data download, and lessons for the next iteration.

Technical record

Airframe, avionics, and payload up close.

Close-ups from the build and from Launch Canada 2026 — the hardware behind the subsystems above.

Pioneer airframe
Pioneer airframeThe red-and-white Pioneer airframe staged on the range.
Avionics bay
Avionics bayWiring harness and rails inside the avionics bay.
Astra Labs boards
Astra Labs boardsCustom PCBs for the flight computer and payload.
Integration
IntegrationElectronics stack going into the airframe on the range.
Sled wiring
Sled wiringWiring the avionics sled beside the rocket on the range.
Fin can
Fin canFin can and boat tail before final assembly.
Airframe handling
Airframe handlingCrew fitting the airframe sections together.
Field PCB work
Field PCB workScrewdriver on a small PCB out on the range.
Payload bulkhead
Payload bulkheadPayload bulkhead with connectors and wiring.
3D printing
3D printingPrinting fixtures and payload parts in the lab.

Collaborations

Cross-institutional partnerships.

Partner

York University

Cross-institutional rocketry partnership — shared test culture and launch-day coordination.

Partner

Seneca Developers Club

Joint picosatellite workshop series — 50 students building CanSat-style payloads in teams.

Field record

Launch days, shop work, and everything in between.

Photos from range days, shop sessions, outreach events, and integration work.

Team 06 with Pioneer
Team 06 with PioneerAstra Labs crew and mentors with the Pioneer airframe at Launch Canada 2026.
Range hardware
Range hardwareThree members on the range with a Pioneer tube section and the avionics sled.
Avionics on the sand
Avionics on the sandWiring the avionics sled beside the rocket at the launch site.
Design review
Design reviewMentors look over the airframe with the crew gathered around the table.
Launch site prep
Launch site prepUnpacking and staging the vehicle from the car at the Launch Canada range.
Fin work
Fin workLast fin and airframe adjustments before the vehicle goes to check-in.
Launch Canada check-in
Launch Canada check-inVehicle check-in at the Launch Canada conference day, where judges assess build quality.
Range electronics
Range electronicsTelemetry and range electronics staged for flight operations.
Flight ops
Flight opsRange-side laptop work during launch-day coordination.
Range crowd
Range crowdStudents and teams gathering for launch windows.
Telemetry tower
Telemetry towerCrew at the antenna mast supporting range communications.
Display rockets
Display rocketsAstra Labs members with student-built rockets outside Seneca.
Range landscape
Range landscapeOpen water and sky near the launch area — where Pioneer aims to fly.
Launch corridor
Launch corridorForest edge and clear sky above the practice range.
Range path
Range pathAccess trail through the launch site terrain.
Composite layup
Composite layupStudents laying composite material on airframe tooling.
CSLC sponsors
CSLC sponsorsCanadian Space Launch Conference sponsor board and partners.
Aviation museum
Aviation museumHistoric aircraft on the conference venue floor.
Hangar exhibits
Hangar exhibitsAerospace history exhibits from the conference venue.
Mentor check-in
Mentor check-inTalking through the build with a mentor in the prep bay.
Launch Canada briefing
Launch Canada briefingTeams gathered for the Launch Canada competition briefing in the arena.