Concordia University students launch rocket from northern Quebec
Starsailor is the first Canadian student-led space launch since 1998 and received Transport Canada approval, with over 700 Concordia students contributing since 2018.
- Students from Concordia University in Montreal launched the 13-metre liquid-fuel Starsailor rocket from northern Quebec on Friday at 5:34 a.m.
- The launch followed seven years of engineering work and was the first student-led space launch officially approved by Transport Canada.
- The rocket lifted off near the Cree community of Mistissini, with students collaborating closely with Cree leaders, but the rocket separated earlier than planned within a minute of liftoff.
- Charles Kiyanda, an associate professor at Concordia, expressed optimism that observers will recognize the project's feasibility, while alumna Hannah Jack Halcro commented that everyone remains quite satisfied with the achievement.
- Although Starsailor likely did not reach the 100-kilometre space boundary, this launch marks a significant step toward Canada’s first space launch from its soil in over 25 years.
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26 Articles
Concordia students send Starsailor rocket flying and enter the history books
At 5:34 a.m. ET, the rocket blasted off in a flash of light, captured in a livestream posted to YouTube, from a base camp about 250 kilometres north of Mistissini, on Cree territory. Though questions remain around whether it reached space, the students say they're proud of what they achieved.
Students from Concordia University launched their Starsailor rocket from a base camp about 250 kilometres north of Mistissini.
A group of students from Concordia University managed to launch a rocket from an isolated location in northern Quebec.
It remains to be seen whether the 13-metre aircraft has achieved its goal of going into space.
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