Graeme Smith-McLeod

On August 15, 2025, Concordia students launched Starsailor, making history with Canada’s first attempt to reach space from domestic soil in more than 25 years.

Designed and built entirely by students at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, the liquid-fuel rocket was the first of its kind in the country to fly.

Graeme was the propulsion system co-lead for Space Concordia’s Rocketry Division.

On Starsailor’s launch:

After three years working on the rocket, Graeme watched it ignite with his teammates’ arms around him. “It really felt like camaraderie between us,” he says. “We said from the beginning that it would be a success if the rocket got off the launch tower, and it went so much further than that.”

Why Concordia:

Starsailor drew him in. “I had the choice between a couple of schools across Canada that offer aerospace engineering degrees,” Graeme recalls. “But then I saw a poster for Space Concordia while on a campus tour, and it just blew my mind. I had to go for it – even though I knew nothing in terms of engineering.”

On moving to Quebec:

Graeme’s high-school French classes weren’t enough for him to feel 100 per cent confident about his French skills before moving to Montreal. “I was worried that it would be tricky to make my away around, but it hasn’t been difficult,” he says. Over time, he has slowly picked up more of the language. “It’s a lot better,” he says. “I know if I go to a restaurant now, I’ll be able to read 90 per cent of the menu in French.”

Favourite neighbourhood in Montreal:

The Mile End

This profile is part of sponsored content originally published in The Globe and Mail in collaboration with Concordia University.