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.
Scott Pederson
Team Lead
Charlie Squires
Project Manager
Gordon So
Lead Engineer
N/a
Safety Captain
Technical Subsystems
Support Subsystems
Aerostructure
The Aerostructure subsystem designs and manufactures the major structural components of the rocket, including the fins, nosecone, fuselage, and couplers. Aerostructure 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 aerostructure because they want to develop hands-on skills and like the subsystem’s fun energy.
Justin
Structures Lead
Recovery
The Recovery team designs and manufactures the parachutes and deployment systems that bring our rockets safely back to the ground. The Recovery subsystem is full of cool multidisciplinary design projects, such as our experimental self-steering parafoil-guided deployable payload that incorporates elements of mechanical, electrical, and software design. Many members also find the Recovery subsystem is a fun and invigorating environment to develop various design skills.
Arturo Ramirez Aguilar
Recovery Lead
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!
Scott Pederson
Payload Lead
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.
Aila Simpson
Avionics Lead
Kristopher Lemieux
Avionics Lead
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.
Devon Holcroft
Propulsion Lead
Flight Dynamics
The Flight Dynamics team keeps our rockets on track with motor sizing, trajectory and stability analysis, and design of the aerodynamic profiles that ensure our rockets can reach their target altitudes. Flight Dynamics members share an interest in aerodynamics, and are responsible for the shape of some of the most recognizable rocket features like the nosecone and fins. Members can develop skills in rocket stability analysis, aerodynamic drag manipulation, and advanced practical skills like computational fluid dynamics for simulating air flows.
Claire Pearce
Flight Dynamics Lead
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.
N/a
Business Lead
Outreach
The Media team is responsible for maintaining UVic Rocketry’s image through website and social media updates, brand development, and graphic design work. Media 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 Media team is a great platform for building technical writing, networking, journalism, graphic design, photography, and other creative skills. The Outreach team organizes events for UVic Rocketry members to share their skills and passion for rocketry with the community, including technical skill development seminars, fun DIY model rocket building activities, and partnerships with science classes at Mount Doug High School. Outreach members also organize social “in-reach” events such as bonfires and other outings for the team to give members a break from school and rocketry projects.
Mel Warwick
Outreach lead
Outreach
The Outreach team organizes events for UVic Rocketry members to share their skills and passion for rocketry with the community, including technical skill development seminars, fun DIY model rocket building activities, and partnerships with science classes at Mount Doug High School. Outreach members also organize social “in-reach” events such as bonfires and other outings for the team to give members a break from school and rocketry projects.
Carmen Ho
Outreach Lead
Advice and Support
The team benefits greatly from the support of faculty and industry experts.
Dr. Afzal Suleman
Engineering Faculty Advisor
Dr. Christopher Nelson
Science Faculty Advisor
Rodney Katz
Senior Scientific Assistant | Head Machinist