Thunderbird Aerospace

What Thunderbird Aerospace does

Thunderbird Aerospace (legally UBC Thunderbird Aerospace) is a university student design team based at the University of British Columbia's Point Grey campus in Vancouver, Canada. Founded in 2023 and operating with approximately 10 members, it is the first Indigenous Engineering Design Team at UBC, with an explicit mission to indigenize the aerospace industry and bridge the gap between advanced university education and industry-standard aerospace practices. The team does not sell products or services; it is funded entirely through corporate and organizational sponsorships routed via UBC's student team giving platform, with no commercial revenue stream.

Name

Thunderbird Aerospace

Legal name

UBC Thunderbird Aerospace

Website

https://thunderbirdaero.space

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UBC's first Indigenous Engineering Design Team (founded 2023, ~10 members), developing student rocketry projects — Stoodis (solid-fueled) and Skoden (liquid bi-propellant) — for NASA First Nations Launch and FAR-OUT competitions, funded entirely by sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Aerospace / Collegiate Rocketry

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets (IMABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rocket Engines (Liquid) (IMABADAE), Rocket Engines (Solid) (IMABADAF), Rocket Motors, Propellants & Warhead Integration (IMABAHAC)

Keywords

• Student rocketry
• University design team
• Indigenous aerospace
• Rocket propulsion
• Aerospace competitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Revenue: Thunderbird Aerospace operates as a university student design team funded entirely through corporate and organizational sponsorships. The team receives financial and material support from sponsors to develop rockets and compete in national and international rocketry competitions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Thunderbird Aerospace is the first Indigenous Engineering Design Team at the University of British Columbia, developing student-built rockets for collegiate aerospace competitions. The team designs, builds, and flies two main rocket projects: Stoodis, a solid-fueled rocket that competed at NASA First Nations Launch in 2024 and 2025 with integrated payload capabilities, and Skoden, a liquid bi-propellant rocket (Nitrous Oxide and Ethanol) being developed for the FAR-OUT 2026 competition. The team is funded entirely through corporate and organizational sponsorships via UBC's giving platform.

Product overview

Thunderbird Aerospace is the first Indigenous Engineering Design Team at UBC Point Grey campus, developing rocket technology for student rocketry competitions. The team operates two primary rocket projects: Stoodis, a solid-fueled rocket that has competed at NASA First Nations Launch in 2024 and 2025 with payload capabilities, and Skoden, a liquid-fueled bi-propellant rocket (Nitrous Oxide and Ethanol) targeting FAR-OUT 2026. Both rockets are engineering student projects designed to bridge university education with industry-standard aerospace practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stoodis Stoodis (meaning "Let's Do This!") is Thunderbird Aerospace's first solid-fueled rocket, designed for robust, passive flights across varied flight envelopes in subsonic, transonic, and supersonic regimes. Competed at NASA First Nations Launch in 2024 and 2025 with payload integration. Features PA6GF 3D printed components and T6 6061 aluminum waterjet fins. Built by a UBC student design team for collegiate aerospace competitions.
• Skoden Skoden (meaning "Let's Go Then!") is Thunderbird Aerospace's first liquid-fueled rocket, designed with high-fidelity CFD and thermofluidic analysis of Nitrous Oxide and Ethanol propellants. Features a bi-propellant engine achieving design specifications within a 5-inch geometric envelope, targeting the FAR-OUT 2026 competition. Built by a UBC student design team for collegiate aerospace competitions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully launched Stoodis solid rocket at NASA First Nations Launch 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Launch CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunch Canada provides support and backing for Thunderbird Aerospace's rocketry initiatives. The team has established close relationships with Launch Canada as a core supporter of their mission to bridge university education with industry-standard aerospace practices.
• NASA First Nations LaunchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA First Nations Launch is the primary competition venue for Thunderbird Aerospace. The team participated in FNL 2024 and 2025, successfully launching their Stoodis solid rocket and competing with a payload-integrated version in 2025. This competition specifically supports Indigenous participation in rocketry.
• FAR-OUT CompetitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAR-OUT is the target competition for Thunderbird Aerospace's Skoden liquid rocket launch planned for 2026. This represents the team's next major competitive milestone and is a key driver for their liquid rocket development program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Lab: Commercial small-launch provider operating the Electron rocket. Broad incumbent in small satellite launch and liquid propulsion technology, representing the commercial frontier that student rocketry programs like Thunderbird feed into via talent pipelines.

Direct peers

• UBC Rocketry: UBC's other student rocketry design team operating from the same campus. Direct peer in student launch competitions, propulsion development, and university-level aerospace engineering programs.
• McGill Rocket Team: McGill University student rocketry design team. Direct peer in Canadian university-level rocket development, propulsion design, and intercollegiate competition circuits.
• University of Toronto Aerospace Team (UTAT): UofT's multidisciplinary aerospace student design team covering rocketry, UAVs, and space systems. Direct peer in scope, structure, and Canadian university aerospace competitions.
• MIT Rocketry Team: MIT's student rocketry organization competing in high-power university launch competitions. Direct peer in advanced amateur rocketry including liquid propulsion, hybrid engines, and high-power target altitudes.
• Waterloo Rocketry: University of Waterloo student rocketry team competing in Canadian and international university launch competitions. Direct peer competing in the same competition circuits (e.g., Launch Canada, intercollegiate events).
• Stanford Student Rocketry: Stanford's student rocketry team participating in intercollegiate launch competitions including FAR-OUT. Direct peer at the higher end of university rocketry capability, competing in the same competition venues targeted by Thunderbird.

Others

• Launch Canada: Canadian non-profit organizing university rocketry competitions. While Thunderbird's core partner, Launch Canada operates the same competition ecosystem (Canada-wide university rocketry challenges) and provides peer context for competition-based student teams.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thunderbird-aerospace
• Instagraminstagram.com/thunderbirdaero.space

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Thunderbird Aerospace