‘NOT JUST A STUDENT CLUB’

How the University of Toronto Aerospace Team (UTAT) came to redefine the mission and structure of the design team

WITH OVER 100 ACTIVE MEMBERS working on everything from quadcopters to astrobiology satellites, sounding rockets to fixed-wing drones, professional conferences to policy research, I often forget that the University of Toronto Aerospace Team (UTAT) is “just” a student club.

UTAT's beginnings trace back to 2004, when a handful of engineering students who enjoyed building RC planes and sharing the occasional beer on Friday came together. For nearly nine years, UTAT focused on aircraft-until in 2012 a small group of UTAT-ers wondered what more could be done. Soon, a rocket project was added, educational and professional outreach activities began snowballing, a space systems division and aerial robotics division were formed, and sponsors became increasingly bubbly about UTAT's growth.