Astra Labs

WHO I AM

We are Astra Labs, a student-led aerospace collective at Seneca Polytechnic in Toronto, Canada. Our team brings together passionate students, builders, researchers, and aspiring engineers who share one goal: to push the boundaries of student aerospace innovation in Canada.

Our members come from diverse backgrounds including engineering, data science, electronics, manufacturing, business, and research. What connects us is our passion for hands-on learning, problem-solving, and building real flight systems that turn classroom theory into practical aerospace experience.

As a team, we enjoy designing, prototyping, testing, and launching ambitious projects that challenge us technically and creatively. We also enjoy collaborating with mentors, running workshops, and inspiring more students to engage with aerospace, space technology, and advanced manufacturing.

Astra Labs is more than a student club. It is a place where future aerospace professionals gain real project experience, learn industry workflows, and contribute to meaningful engineering milestones.

Project Description

Astra Labs is currently developing advanced student-led aerospace systems with a strong focus on flight hardware, manufacturing, and innovation.

1. Project Pioneer

Project Pioneer is our flagship high-power rocket project for the 2026 Launch Canada Challenge. The rocket is being designed to reach a target altitude of 2,800 meters while simulating a commercial rideshare mission. Our concept involves carrying student-designed picosatellites, giving students practical exposure to payload integration and real aerospace mission planning.

This project includes:

Airframe and structural design

Avionics integration

Payload bay development

Recovery system design

Ground testing and flight validation

Manufacturing of custom mechanical and electronic components

2. Vertical Landing Rocket

We are also developing a student-built vertical landing rocket, an ambitious initiative focused on reusable launch technology. This project allows our team to explore guidance systems, control systems, structures, and rapid prototyping in a highly applied setting.

Technical Scope

Our projects involve a wide range of components and subsystems, including:

• Custom PCB designs for avionics and payload systems
• Sensor integration
• Power distribution systems
• Communications modules
• Mechanical mounts and structural parts
• Enclosures and support hardware
• Prototyped and machined parts for testing and assembly

Current Progress and Achievements

So far, Astra Labs has:

• Completed three successful rocket flights, each reaching approximately 1 kilometer altitude
• Secured official licensing to continue launch activities
• Participated in aerospace competitions and technical events
• Built a growing multidisciplinary team
• Conducted workshops and collaborated with aerospace professionals and industry mentors

Why This Matters

Our work helps students gain real-world aerospace experience in:

• Design for manufacturing
• Electronics integration
• Prototyping and testing
• Systems engineering
• Documentation and technical collaboration
• Support from PCBWay would directly help us manufacture reliable, high-quality custom parts and printed circuit boards for our rocket avionics and supporting systems. Access to professional fabrication is essential for improving performance, safety, and manufacturability as we prepare for competition and future flight testing.

External Links

You can also learn more about Astra Labs through:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astra-labs-engineers

Email: astralabsengineering@gmail.com

Words to PCBWay

Dear PCBWay,

Thank you for supporting makers, student teams, and engineers around the world. Astra Labs is a student-led aerospace team at Seneca Polytechnic working on ambitious rocket and flight-system projects that give students direct experience in design, manufacturing, avionics, and testing.

We are applying for PCBWay sponsorship because high-quality fabrication is a critical part of our development process. Your support in PCB manufacturing and prototyping would help our team produce more reliable avionics systems, improve our testing workflow, and move our projects closer to flight-ready standards.

As students, opportunities like this make a major difference. Sponsorship from PCBWay would not only support our hardware needs, but also empower the next generation of aerospace innovators in Canada.

We would be proud to represent PCBWay through our project documentation, outreach, and competition journey. Thank you for considering our application and for helping student engineering teams turn ideas into reality.

Sincerely,

Astra Labs

Seneca Polytechnic

astralabsengineering@gmail.com