Our History

The Western Canada Aerospace Initiative (WCAN) evolved from Bio Rocket, an ambitious engineering capstone project started at the University of Calgary in 2024. Originally focused on developing Proteus, Alberta's first liquid rocket, the team completed the first static fire test of a liquid rocket engine in Alberta in August 2025, and is planning to launch Proteus in Summer 2027. Recognizing a broader need for technical maturity and knowledge transfer in student aerospace projects across Western Canada, we began transforming our project into a non-profit organization and founded WCAN in 2026. Our organization is dedicated to providing access to equipment, training opportunities, and technical support to student aerospace initiatives throughout the region.

Our Team

Lukas Kobler

Project Manager

Lukas is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Calgary and has been developing rocket propulsion systems for SOAR for over 5 years and led the development of Dracarys I, the most powerful hybrid rocket motor ever flown, in Alberta.

Jayden Sorensen

Controls Lead

After 3 years with SOAR and 24 months of aerospace and research internship experience, Jayden is ready to design, integrate, and test systems for data acquisition and analysis, communication, controls, and much more.

Jesse Gerbrandt

Software Lead

With 2 years of avionics experience on SOAR, Jesse has developed flight and safety-critical software, excelling in embedded systems, communication, and GUI programming, ensuring performance and reliability.