Vehicle program

Pioneer is the current build.

Designed, machined, wired, and tested by students. Every subsystem is integrated in-house — mechanical, electronics, and operations.

Student-built Bench-tested No outsourcing

Subsystems

Designed, simulated, assembled, and tested in-house.

MECH

Mechanical

Airframe design, OpenRocket simulations, CFD/FEA validation, recovery-system design, and physical integration. Every part is either machined or justified.

ELEC

Electronics

Custom SRAD avionics, STM32 flight computers, KiCad PCB design, sensors, and telemetry systems. Ground-tested before flight.

OPS

Operations

Sponsorships, budget management, logistics, documentation, and launch coordination. The paperwork is as important as the wiring.

Integration

Subsystems converge at the vehicle.

Mechanical, electronics, operations, and documentation feed into one launch-ready configuration. Shared requirements, shared handoff points, shared accountability.

View program map

Collaborations

Cross-institutional partnerships.

Partner

York University

Cross-institutional rocketry partnership — shared test culture and launch-day coordination.

Partner

Concordia University

Multi-university collaboration on recovery documentation and outreach.

Partner

Seneca Developers Club

Joint picosatellite workshop series — 50 students building CanSat-style payloads in teams.

Field record

Launch days, shop work, and everything in between.

Photos from range days, shop sessions, outreach events, and integration work.

Range landscape
Range landscape Aerial view from the Ontario launch area — where Pioneer will eventually fly.
Shop session
Shop session Hands-on build work with the crew on club hardware.
Vehicle prep
Vehicle prep Airframe and recovery hardware staged before integration.
Field day
Field day The crew on site during an outdoor build and test session.
Assembly bench
Assembly bench Students fitting subsystems and documenting handoffs.
Launch corridor
Launch corridor Open sky above the practice range — apogee target 2.8 km.
Workshop floor
Workshop floor Fabrication and integration work in progress.
Crew on the pad
Crew on the pad Astra Labs members during a field operations day.
Campus recruitment
Campus recruitment New students meeting the team and seeing how they can join the build.
Outreach board
Outreach board Project updates and club materials shared at campus events.