A year after a failed rocket launch, Arbalest Rocketry - a student club from York University's Lassonde School of Engineering - returned to Launch Canada and soared to success.
Team Arbalest's success at Launch Canada 2025 - the country's largest student rocketry challenge - began with disappointment a year earlier.
In 2024, the York University team travelled to Timmins, Ont., with Goose 4, the fourth iteration of its high-powered rocket series. Launch Canada draws student teams from across the country, challenging them to design, build and safely launch rockets under strict technical and safety standards. Participants are rated on technical execution and safety, with successful flights or demonstrations carrying the most weight in the final ranking.
Goose 4 needed to launch to be ranked against more than a dozen post-secondary teams that built rockets ranging up to 18 feet in length. Earlier versions had earned Team Arbalest national recognition, raising expectations for a strong performance.
