
About Us
700+ Impacted
12 Partners
7 years of R&D
10 Project Teams
SFU Rocketry is a leading student rocketry group in Canada.
We design liquid rocket engines and support our Canadian aerospace industry by partnering on R&D.
What We Do
Our mission is to design, build, and test small rocket engines, flight computers, and sensors from the ground up, tackling complex challenges in aerospace with a hands-on, systems-first approach.
Our team delivers complex, high-risk projects on accelerated timelines, regularly interfacing with industry partners, regulators, and academic institutions. We aim to bridge the gap between classroom theory and cutting-edge engineering.
Why It Matters
Access to space is still limited — not by imagination, but by cost, complexity, and risk. We break down those barriers by engineering unique new rocket engines and supporting the people and infrastructure needed to test them. Our systems are designed to be pushed hard, iterated fast, and rebuilt better.
We operate like our R&D company partners: designing for manufacturability, validating through real test campaigns, and training engineers in the same high-performance environment they’ll find in industry. It’s how we build better technology — and better engineers.
We're not here to participate. We’re here to raise the bar.
What We Believe In
We build like it matters and our values keep us sharp:
We move fast and iterate with purpose, cutting through red tape to focus on what actually drives progress.
We don’t build for the sake of process, Every design, test, and decision earns its place.
Execute What Matters
No silos and no handoffs. Every member is responsible for what they build, test, and deliver, from CAD to countdown.
If it fails, we fix it. If it works, we push it further. Performance is a moving target.
Own the Outcome
We find leverage in constraint. When tools are missing, we make our own. We adapt, improvise, and figure it out.
Constraints don’t slow us down — they drive our creativity.
Stay Scrappy
Good enough isn’t good enough. Our standards move up alongside our ambition, and our work speaks for itself.
We hold ourselves and each other to a higher standard.
Raise the Bar
We pride ourselves on our diverse network of the brightest minds from SFU's student body and the surrounding community, each bringing unique skills and perspectives to the table. Our team members are not only gifted but also passionate, creative, and driven, qualities that are crucial in the dynamic field of aerospace.
We have built a team that is not only exceptional in its capabilities, but also inspirational in its dedication to advancing the frontiers of aerospace technology.
Our Team is Exceptional
Executive Team
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Sebastian Nieto
President & CFO
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Daler Kuishinov
Director of Control Systems
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Xander Denis
Director of Mechanical Engineering
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Sebastian Scurtescu
Director of Innovative Solutions (ISG)
Project Leads
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Joel Lerner
ECS Hardware Lead
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Sebastian Nieto
ECS Software Lead
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Bradley Schellenberg
LRE GEN3 & GEN4 Lead
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Saranpreet Singh
Thrust Vector Control Lead
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Daler Kuishinov
High Altitude Payload Lead
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Andrei Tent
Engine Test Cell Lead
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Xander Denis
Engine Acoustics Silencer Lead
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Sebastian Scurtescu
ISG Propulsion R&D Lead
Impactful Alumni
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Bradley Schellenberg
CEO & Various Roles 2021-2024
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Jeffrey Lin
ECS Hardware Lead, 2024
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Rustem Ismagilov
TVC Lead, 2024
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Ripan Dhaliwal
Chief Business Officer, 2024
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Jan Swanson
Cryogenic Sensors Lead, 2023-2024
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Navi Ravikularam
Education Director, 2023-2024
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Ishaan Aggarwal
Propulsion Director, 2023-2024
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Devin Armstrong
Software Director, 2022-2024
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Gavin Theyes
ECS Software Lead, 2022-2024
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Ritesh Nandakumar
ECS Hardware Lead, 2023
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Sviatoslav Rublov
Payload Recovery Lead, 2023
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Colton Koop
Hardware Director, 2022-2023
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Ankit Popli
Chief Business Officer, 2022-2023
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Kabir Bajwa
Propulsion Director, 2021-2023
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Levi Magel
President, 2022
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Amraz Mangat
Propulsion Director, 2021-2022
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Marko Jovanovic
Software Director, 2021-2022
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Elias Bircher
President, 2019-2022
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Kevin Burville
Founding President, 2018