For most student projects, success might mean getting a machine to work. For the University of Waterloo Rocketry Team, it meant sending a 300-pound rocket higher than any amateur liquid rocket had gone before. Their Polaris rocket climbed to 63,497 feet during the 2026 Launch Canada Challenge in Timmins, Ontario, breaking the previous record of 56,590 feet.
• Polaris reached 63,497 feet
• The flight broke the previous amateur record
• The achievement came at the 2026 Launch Canada Challenge
The 17-foot Polaris was built around a liquid bi-propellant engine, a technology that is considerably more demanding to develop than solid or hybrid rocket systems. The team upgraded its engine for greater thrust and improved the rocket’s stability during launch, while also redesigning its architecture to squeeze out more altitude.
• Polaris uses liquid bi-propellant propulsion
• A more powerful engine improved initial stability
• The rocket was optimized specifically for altitude
Breaking the altitude record was only half the challenge. The team also needed to bring the rocket back safely, something that had proved difficult during its previous attempt. Polaris featured a heavily reinforced recovery system designed to withstand forces far beyond those expected during parachute deployment, and the rocket successfully descended using both a drogue and main parachute before being recovered.
• Polaris completed a successful recovery
• Its parachute system was significantly reinforced
• Onboard sensors captured valuable flight data
The achievement builds on several years of development. In 2024, Waterloo Rocketry launched Borealis, the first Canadian liquid bi-propellant rocket to fly. A year later, Aurora reached 38,000 feet, becoming the world’s second-highest amateur liquid bi-propellant rocket at the time. Although Aurora was not recovered, the team used the setback to improve its next design, turning lessons from failure into a record-breaking flight.
• Borealis made Canadian rocketry history in 2024
• Aurora reached 38,000 feet in 2025
• Lessons from previous launches helped create Polaris
Now in its 17th year, Waterloo Rocketry has around 100 students from Engineering, Math, Arts and Science working on its projects. The team is already preparing for its next rocket, with new members joining in September. Polaris’ data will help guide that work, continuing a cycle where each launch becomes a stepping stone toward something more ambitious. For these students, the real breakthrough may be proving just how far a university team can push aerospace engineering.
• Around 100 students contribute to the team
• Polaris’ flight data will shape future rockets
• The next record attempt may already be taking shape
Via: uwaterloo
