Overview
Founded in 2014, CU InSpace is an engineering design team that specializes in the production of amateur high powered rockets. The team is composed of approximately 110 undergraduate students from 13 departments with a shared passion for rocketry that work to compete in the annual International Rocket Engineering Challenge (IREC) and the Launch Canada Challenge (LC). We design, build and launch rockets with a payload to an altitude of up to 10,000 meters or 30,000 feet above the surface of the Earth.
The team has had 10 successful launches to date: 6 at IREC in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and 4 at LC in 2023, 2024, and twice in 2025. In 2021 the team competed in the 2021 Virtual Spaceport America Cup, placing 13th in our category and winning the overall team sportsmanship award. The team launched our first supersonic vehicle in 2023 and won the team spirit award. 2024 saw the team’s first rocket with successful reefing. Our 2025 competition year saw the launch of our very first hybrid engine flight with a partial recovery, and the successful launch and recovery of Carleton’s fastest vehicle!
The Rollout
This fund will be put towards the construction and testing of the 2025-26 edition of our rockets, and sending the team to IREC and LC this year. The funds donated will also enable the team to take on longer term challenges like developing a two-stage rocket, which will allow the team to launch to new heights. Finally, the fund will be used for outreach to the Carleton community, spreading a love for space and rocketry amongst our peers through events like our annual model rocket competition, online seminars, and games nights.
The Impact
CU InSpace allows students to gain experience in using industry-standard tools and software that are relevant to their careers. Additionally, the club aids in the development of technical knowledge and skills that students can use in the future upon entering the industry, such as hands-on assembly, research, design and manufacturing experience. Working in a team environment allows students to collaborate in a friendly environment with fellow students who share similar interests while gaining experience in utilizing the engineering design process. In addition to helping students within the Carleton community, the club is reaching out to high schools in Ottawa to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs.