Queen's Space Engineering Team

What Queen's Space Engineering Team does

Queen's Space Engineering Team (QSET) is a non-profit undergraduate student design team based at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, operating since 2006 with over 100 active members across most engineering disciplines. The organization pursues space science and technology through two independent product lines: the QSAT 3U CubeSat, developed to compete in the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge and aiming to fly under the Canadian Space Agency's CUBICS 2025 program, and the QSET Rover, a competitive rover with chassis, drive, mechanical-arm, electrical, software, autonomous, and payload subsystems. A third offering, Space School, is an educational program for first-year students covering foundational skills such as GitHub, Arduino, circuits, soldering, PCB design, CAD, and 3D printing.

The QSAT CubeSat integrates six subsystems — Communications, Electrical Power System, Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), Mechanical, Payload, and Onboard Computer (OBC) — incorporating inertial measurement units, photodiode sun sensors, reaction wheels, magnetorquers, microcontrollers, transceivers, solar-rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and a custom low-resolution Earth-observation camera. The CubeSat is designed to be launch-capable. The team's technical output is anchored in competition results: a third-place finish plus an outreach award in the 2021-2023 Canadian Satellite Design Challenge cycle.

QSET has no commercial revenue and does not sell products or services. The business model is sponsorship- and donation-funded: corporate sponsors include Camptech-II, CCDF, Workbench, and MOFLON for cash, and Altium and SOLIDWORKS for software tooling. Donations are accepted via the Queen's University giving platform. The end beneficiaries are undergraduate students at Queen's University, who gain hands-on space-engineering experience, industry networking, and transferable technical skills; the team is governed by a rotating undergraduate executive including a Satellite Captain, Rover Captain, COO, CTOs, and functional managers across media, outreach, sponsorship, regulatory, finance, and subsystem leads.

Name

Queen's Space Engineering Team

Legal name

Queen's Space Engineering Team

Website

https://qset.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Queen's Space Engineering Team (QSET) is a non-profit undergraduate student design team at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, building a 3U CubeSat and a competitive rover to compete in national space-technology competitions, while training 100+ members through hands-on engineering projects and the Space School program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Aerospace Engineering Education and Design Team

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft Avionics, Flight Computers & Software (IMABACAI), Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) for Space Systems (IMABACAG), Ground Segment Systems (Ground Stations, TT&C, Mission Ops) (IMABACAJ), Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

Keywords

• Student engineering team
• CubeSat development
• Rover engineering
• Space science competitions
• Engineering education outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Donation Funding: Team is funded through corporate sponsorships and donations. Sponsors include Camptech-II, CCDF, Workbench, MOFLO N, and tools/software providers like Altium and SOLIDWORKS. Accepts donations via Queen's University giving platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

QSET designs, builds, and operates a 3U CubeSat (QSAT) and a multi-subsystem Rover for entry into national space technology design competitions such as the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge and the Canadian Space Agency's CUBICS program. It also delivers the Space School educational program for first-year students, providing hands-on training in satellite and rover design. The organization is a non-commercial, nonprofit student design team at Queen's University, funded by sponsorships and donations.

Product overview

Queen's Space Engineering Team (QSET) is a student design team at Queen's University consisting of two main product lines: the QSAT 3U CubeSat and the QSET Rover. The team also runs the Space School educational program. The 3U CubeSat integrates six sub-systems (Communications, Electrical Power System, ADCS, Mechanical, Payload, and Onboard Computer) and aims to compete in the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge and CUBICS 2025 program. The Rover features subsystems for chassis, drive systems, mechanical arm, electrical systems, software, autonomous capabilities, and payload. Space School is a training pipeline for students to develop foundational engineering skills.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• QSAT 3U CubeSat A 3U CubeSat developed by the QSET Satellite team (QSAT) to compete in the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge, with the goal of launching into space. Integrates six subsystems: Communications, Electrical Power System (EPS), Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), Mechanical, Payload (Earth observation camera), and Onboard Computer (OBC).
• QSET Rover A rover developed by the QSET Rover Team to compete in design competitions against other schools. Features subsystems including chassis, drive systems, mechanical arm, electrical systems, software, autonomous capabilities, and payload integration.
• Space School An educational program run by the QSAT team aimed at first-year students to provide essential skills and knowledge for satellite design. Students build small experiments for potential launch on high-altitude balloons, learning skills including GitHub, Arduino, circuits, soldering, PCB design, CAD, and 3D printing. Run in collaboration with Thomas Sears, a Queen's PhD student bringing CubeSat industry experience.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Space AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the CUBICS 2025 program, QSET aims to compete alongside other Canadian universities with potential launch opportunity.
• Thomas Sears (Queen's PhD Student)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with senior QSAT team members to run Space School program, bringing CubeSat industry experience to student training.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AAC Clyde Space: AAC Clyde Space is a commercial small-satellite and CubeSat subsystem provider offering ADCS, communications, and power systems. Comparable in the spacecraft subsystem categories QSET develops (ADCS, EPS, communications) but as a commercial supplier rather than student team.
• GomSpace: GomSpace is a commercial supplier of CubeSat platforms, subsystems, and components widely used by academic teams. Comparable to QSET's CubeSat development focus as a reference for the same mission architecture and component categories QSET builds.
• Pumpkin Space Systems: Pumpkin Space Systems supplies CubeSat kits, structures, and electrical power systems widely adopted by university teams. Comparable as a supplier of the structural and EPS building blocks for the 3U CubeSat platform QSET is developing.
• UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory: University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies Space Flight Laboratory is a Canadian university satellite organization that has flown multiple operational spacecraft. Comparable as a Canadian university satellite builder, though at a much more advanced, mission-proven scale than QSET.

Direct peers

• UBC Orbit: UBC Orbit is the University of British Columbia's student satellite design team building CubeSats for Canadian competitions. Directly comparable as another Canadian university CubeSat team with similar competition focus and student-team model.
• University of Toronto Aerospace Team (UTAT): UTAT is a large multidisciplinary student design team at the University of Toronto with aerospace projects, competing in similar design competitions. Comparable as a Canadian university student design team structure pursuing space-related engineering projects.
• York University Space Engineering Team: York University's student space engineering team develops space-related projects at the undergraduate level. Comparable as another Canadian university student team focused on space engineering design and competitions.
• Western University Space Design Team: Western University's student design team pursues space-related engineering projects in Ontario. Comparable as a peer Canadian university student engineering organization with similar scope, scale, and competition orientation.
• AlbertaSat (University of Alberta): AlbertaSat is the University of Alberta's student-run CubeSat program, one of the pioneering Canadian university CubeSat efforts. Comparable as a Canadian university satellite team participating in CSA-aligned programs.
• Carleton University CubeSat Team: Carleton University hosts student CubeSat and small-satellite activities, often in partnership with Canadian Space Agency programs. Comparable as another Canadian university CubeSat design team competing in similar competitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QueenSpcEngTeam
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOo63MWDoMnAq9iDsHKFmcQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/queensspaceteam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/queen's-space-engineering-team-qset-
• Instagraminstagram.com/qset

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Queen's Space Engineering Team