In August 2025, the city of Timmins, Ontario became the epicenter of Canadian rocketry and aerospace innovation as it hosted Launch Canada 2025—a week-long celebration of student engineering, hands-on space technology, and the dreams that fuel the next generation of explorers. The event combined a vibrant public conference with thrilling launch days, drawing participants, aerospace leaders, and enthusiasts from across the country and beyond.
For Beyond Blue Aerospace, Launch Canada 2025 was more than just a showcase of student rocketry—it was an opportunity to connect with the broader aerospace community, mentor the next wave of innovators, and demonstrate our commitment to advancing Canada’s presence in space. Two of our team members, David LeFrancois and Steve Perpich, played important roles at this year’s event, lending their expertise, leadership, and vision.
Launch Canada 2025: A Landmark Week for Aerospace in Timmins
At its heart, Launch Canada has always been about more than rockets. It is a platform where students, educators, industry leaders, and the public come together to share ideas, test technologies, and inspire one another. For Canadian student rocketry teams, the competition is the highlight of the year: an opportunity to demonstrate not only technical skill but also teamwork, creativity, and perseverance.
Over the years, Launch Canada has grown from a niche competition into a flagship event on the Canadian aerospace calendar. In 2025, it once again proved itself to be hands-on, high-stakes learning at its finest. Teams designed, built, and launched high-powered rockets capable of reaching altitudes approaching 100,000 feet, with some breaking the sound barrier. Alongside these breathtaking launches, the conference and community activities created an inclusive space where people of all ages could learn, participate, and dream big.
For Timmins, hosting the event continued to be a source of pride. The region provided both the airspace and community support needed for high-powered rocketry while giving students and professionals alike a warm Northern Ontario welcome.
The Conference: August 16–17
The week began with two days of conference-style programming at the Archie Dillon Sportsplex in Timmins. Far from being a technical gathering limited to aerospace insiders, the Launch Canada Conference was designed to be open, engaging, and family-friendly.
Visitors had the chance to:
- Hear from astronauts, engineers, and aerospace leaders about their experiences and insights.
- Engage with student teams, exploring their rocket designs, electronics, and propulsion systems.
- Enjoy interactive exhibits, where children and adults alike built stomp rockets, explored engineering concepts, and got a taste of the problem-solving spirit that drives aerospace.
For students, these two days were about more than competition—they provided networking, mentorship, and exposure. Presenting to industry experts, sharing design decisions, and fielding questions gave them invaluable preparation for future careers.
Beyond Blue Aerospace viewed this component as essential: it bridged the gap between education and industry, ensuring that the passion students brought to their projects translated into long-term impact for Canada’s aerospace sector.
The Launch Days: August 18–22
After the conference concluded, attention shifted to the launch site outside Timmins. For five days, rockets roared into the sky, drawing cheers from teams, judges, and spectators alike.
Each launch represented months—sometimes years—of design, testing, and refinement. Teams had to carefully balance innovation with safety, demonstrating not only their ability to build rockets but also their competence in project management, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance.
Highlights of 2025:
- Student Launches: Teams successfully reached altitudes ranging from 10,000 feet to nearly 100,000 feet. Several rockets achieved supersonic speeds, while others showcased advanced payloads and staging systems.
- Certification Flights: Individual flyers pursued their Canadian Association of Rocketry (CAR/ACF) certifications, advancing through Levels 1–4. The opportunity added another dimension to the week, keeping the event open not only to student teams but also to hobbyists and professionals.
- Experimental Projects: Hybrid engines, innovative recovery systems, and other experimental technologies demonstrated the bold creativity that makes Launch Canada unique.
Watching these rockets streak skyward was a visceral reminder of why aerospace continues to inspire humanity. The noise, the speed, the tension of recovery—all of it combined into an unforgettable experience.
David LeFrancois: The Operational Backbone
One of the key figures ensuring that Launch Canada 2025 ran smoothly was David LeFrancois, Director of Launch Operations at Launch Canada and President & Operations Manager at Beyond Blue Aerospace.
David is no stranger to high-stakes aviation and aerospace environments. A licensed professional engineer and commercial pilot, he brought a rare combination of technical expertise and practical flight experience to the event.
At Launch Canada, David oversaw launch logistics, safety protocols, and operational coordination, ensuring that every flight was conducted with the highest standards of precision and responsibility. With rockets reaching supersonic speeds and altitudes rivaling those of small aircraft, safety could not be compromised. David’s leadership provided the structure and discipline needed to make Launch Canada both thrilling and secure.
He also devoted time to mentorship, working directly with student teams to help them understand not only the technical aspects of launching but also the mindset required for success in aerospace: patience, rigor, and accountability.
In 2023, David also supported operations at Spaceport Nova Scotia, assisting with the successful launch of York University’s Goose 3 two-stage rocket. His presence at both Launch Canada and emerging Canadian spaceports highlighted his role as a connector between grassroots student innovation and national aerospace ambitions.
Steve Perpich: Visionary for Special Projects
Complementing David’s operational focus was Steve Perpich, Board Member and Director of Special Projects at Beyond Blue Aerospace.
Steve’s role at Launch Canada 2025 centered on strategy, outreach, and vision. With a background spanning aerospace innovation and business consulting, he brought a unique perspective: how to make suborbital flight and advanced rocketry accessible, sustainable, and relevant to wider communities.
At Beyond Blue Aerospace, Steve has been a driving force in shaping projects that aim to democratize access to spaceflight. Beyond Blue’s vision of a suborbital spaceplane—designed to take off from conventional airports—requires not only technical expertise but also creative engagement with regulators, educators, and the public. Steve’s leadership in special projects has ensured that Beyond Blue is not just developing technology in isolation but building bridges to the communities it will serve.
At Launch Canada 2025, Steve helped highlight the educational value of the event. He recognized that today’s student rocketeers are tomorrow’s aerospace entrepreneurs, engineers, and pilots. By supporting their efforts, Steve reinforced the pipeline of talent that will sustain Canada’s role in global space exploration.
Why Beyond Blue Aerospace Supports Launch Canada
For Beyond Blue Aerospace, participation in Launch Canada 2025 was more than community outreach—it was part of our core mission.
- Mentorship: By working with student teams, we helped nurture the next generation of aerospace talent, ensuring that Canada continues to innovate and lead.
- Collaboration: The event brought together government, industry, and academia in a way few other platforms do, opening doors for partnerships that can accelerate progress.
- Public Engagement: Launch Canada inspired the public by making rocketry visible, accessible, and exciting. This aligns with Beyond Blue’s vision of a future where aerospace is integrated into everyday life.
Beyond Blue Aerospace is working toward the development of suborbital spaceplanes—vehicles capable of carrying people and payloads into space from conventional airports. Achieving this vision requires not only technical breakthroughs but also a cultural shift: society must see spaceflight not as a distant dream but as a practical, achievable reality. Launch Canada 2025 helped foster that shift by normalizing rocket launches, inspiring trust, and sparking curiosity.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Canadian Aerospace
Launch Canada 2025 was more than an annual event—it was part of a larger movement. Across the country, student teams, startups, and established companies are pushing Canada into a new era of aerospace capability. From Spaceport Nova Scotia on the East Coast to events in Ontario and beyond, the momentum is undeniable.
Beyond Blue Aerospace is proud to be part of this momentum. By combining our work on suborbital systems with active participation in events like Launch Canada, we are helping to create an ecosystem where innovation thrives.
The involvement of leaders like David LeFrancois and Steve Perpich underscored this commitment. Their expertise, mentorship, and vision embodied the values that will carry Canada forward in aerospace: safety, creativity, and inclusivity.
When rockets lifted off from Timmins this August, they represented more than just student projects. They symbolized ambition, collaboration, and the future of Canadian aerospace.
For Beyond Blue Aerospace, Launch Canada 2025 was an opportunity to stand alongside the innovators of tomorrow, to support their journeys, and to demonstrate our belief that Canada can and should play a leading role in the next chapter of human spaceflight.The event left an indelible mark—not only on the students and professionals who participated but also on the broader Canadian aerospace community. Launch Canada 2025 proved once again that when passion meets opportunity, the results can be extraordinary.