Bradley Schellenberg

Executive Advisor | Former President & Chief Engineer (2021-2024)

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Summary

Bradley Schellenberg served as President & CEO of SFU Rocketry while also acting as Chief Engineer. He joined in 2021 as a control-systems hardware designer, developing the first liquid engine control PCBs for Gen-I and Gen-II rockets. Over four years, he led the team’s transformation from a small 12-person group into Simon Fraser University’s largest design team, with over 150 members and more than a dozen concurrent aerospace projects. His leadership was recognized by Aerospace & Defense Review, who honoured him and SFU Rocketry as a Top Rocket Engine Manufacturer in Canada.

Bradley’s expertise spans propulsion system development, hardware and electronics engineering, PCB and RF systems, and various other aerospace disciplines. He has led dozens of programs from concept design through full system integration, while creating mentorship pipelines that equipped hundreds of students with their first real-world aerospace experience.

Bradley has repeatedly shown the ability to create high-performing, disruptive teams that attract investment and deliver results, as both an executive leader and a hands-on engineer.

Today, he is building Borealis Propulsion, a Canadian aerospace & defense corporation developing flight capable engines and instrumentation.

Project Contribution

Leadership at SFU Rocketry

Bradley was heavily dedicated to the SFU Rocketry team for four years, with some notable accomplishments including:

  • Team Expansion & Strategy – Bradley Scaled membership from 12 to 155, establishing SFU Rocketry as the university’s largest and most ambitious design team. Introduced new divisions in payload, propulsion, cryogenics, power, and recovery.

  • Hardware Leadership – Bradley managed 40+ students across 8 active projects, successfully bringing up 12 flight control and computing PCB projects. He oversaw system design reviews, signed off on final hardware, and taught new cohorts the complete design cycle from architecture to integration.

  • President & Chief Engineer – Bradley directed operations, finances, partnerships, and technical programs. He led multi-project budgets, built industry and academic partnerships, and secured the funding required to advance complex high-risk R&D projects. He secured the majority of project funding for all SFU Rocketry efforts to-date, including major investments such as $30,000 from DarkVision.

  • Mentorship & Education – Bradley designed training pipelines and educational initiatives to lower barriers to entry in a rather complex field, enabling hundreds of students to gain practical, hands-on experience absent from traditional coursework.

  • Propulsion Leadership – In his final terms, served as Propulsion Director, leading design and testing of GEN-3 and GEN-4 engines and subsystems, preparing the team for higher chamber pressures and extended-duration burns.

Bradley remains connected to SFU Rocketry as an Executive Advisor, providing strategic guidance and technical oversight in propulsion programs.