The Team
We are united and inspired by a shared passion for rocketry, skill-development, and the growing Canadian space industry. The team is divided into six technical subsystems and three support subsystems that work together to design our rockets, network with the community, and keep us having fun!
Administration
Meet the UVR administrative team! The team lead, project manager, lead engineer, and safety captain represent the team to the faculty and university, coordinate timelines and design work, and keep the team motivated to safely design and build a new rocket every two years.
Subsystems
Analysis
The Analysis division is responsible for the analysis and simulation of all components, systems and projects that fly within our rocket. They run trajectory and stability analysis, design aerodynamic profiles, do bending and structural analysis, size the motor, determine optimum sizes and masses, run FEA, CFD, FSI and thermal simulations whenever required.
Avionics
The Avionics team primarily designs the sensor systems, control sequences, and radio telemetry systems that allow us to record flight data, execute various flight actions, and track our rockets as they fly. Avionics also brings together team members working on the electrical and software elements of other subsystem’s projects, such as those working on the controls and instrumentation for Propulsion’s custom hybrid rocket engine project. Avionics members develop skills in PCB design, radio telemetry, wire routing and 3D CAD, coding with Python and C, and programming Arduino and STM32 microcontrollers.
Structures
The Structures division designs and manufactures the major structural components of the rocket, including the fins, nosecone, fuselage, and couplers. Structures members develop valuable hands-on composites manufacturing skills, design various manufacturing jigs and structural testing apparatuses, and learn advanced composites analysis techniques. Many members join Structures because they want to develop hands-on skills and like the subsystem’s fun energy.
Propulsion
The Propulsion Team integrates rocket motors into our rockets and develops fully student researched and designed (SRAD) custom engines. Their primary development project, Mule-1, is our team’s first ever SRAD hybrid engine, using solid paraffin wax as its fuel and liquid nitrous oxide as its oxidizer. Propulsion members share an interest in big (controlled) flames and making things go fast, and work on cool projects to develop design and analysis skills that are highly relevant in today’s growing aerospace industry.
Payload
There’s no point in launching an empty rocket. The Payload team merges science and engineering to design and build cutting-edge on-board experiments that take advantage of the massive acceleration, high altitude, and brief conditions of microgravity experienced by our rockets during flight. They also participate in a number of exciting payload-related side challenges, such as the CAN-RGX microgravity experiment design challenge!
Business
Our Business team manages our finances, purchasing, reimbursement, sponsorship, and fundraising processes to help us earn and save enough money to build our competition rockets and continue our R&D projects like Propulsion’s custom hybrid rocket engine. Business members develop great organization and management skills, and can become intimately familiar with systems throughout the rocket by helping with sourcing affordable components and securing sponsors.
Outreach
The Outreach team is responsible for maintaining UVic Rocketry’s image through website and social media updates, brand development, and graphic design work. Outreach members are often creative and social, and become very well-versed in all elements of our rockets as they learn about and share our team’s projects and activities throughout the season. The Outreach team is a great platform for building technical writing, networking, journalism, graphic design, photography, and other creative skills. The Outreach team also organizes events for UVic Rocketry members to share their skills and passion for rocketry with the community.
Advice and Support
We are immensely grateful to our faculty and community advisors for their time and insight!
Dr. Afzal Suleman
Engineering Faculty Advisor
Dr. Levi Smith
Engineering Faculty Advisor
Dr. Christopher Nelson
Science Faculty Advisor
Rodney Katz
Senior Scientific Assistant | Head Machinist