‘You need to overcome it’: NPSS student talks record-breaking rocket launch

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — In just a matter of seconds, a Fort St. John resident rocketed his way into history in Alberta during the last weekend of April.

North Peace Secondary School (NPSS) student Nolan Cote achieved a Canadian altitude record of 21,746 feet on Saturday, April 26th in Conrad, near Lethbridge, Alberta with his model rocket.

Setting a new mark for a rocket launched on an ‘L motor,’ Cote’s effort shattered the previous height by one and a half kilometres and was shared on YouTube.

The 17-year-old has an aptitude for building, and his mother Kelli Cote says he’s been interested in rockets “since he was little.”

Nolan Cote said: “Ever since middle school I just got into watching rocket launches.”

“Between grades nine and 10, I found out about the Canadian Association of Rocketry (CAR).

“I put about 340 hours into the rocket I flew. So, I was very nervous. There’s so many things that can go wrong and will go wrong, but you just need to overcome it.”

Through his membership with CAR, Cote has achieved levels one, two and three certifications for high-powered rocketry.

He was mentored during certifications by Brad Wall, who is president with the Saskatoon Rocketry Club.

Despite the large distance between them, Cote describes their collaborations as “great.”

“He’s a very hands-off mentor,” said Cote. “He’s made sure everything’s safe, everything will cover itself properly, but he’s not holding me back from experimenting and seeing what I can [do] and what will work.”

Cote’s scientific expertise extends beyond rockets as well.  

Cote has also been involved in robotics in both grades 11 and 12 at NPSS, achieving top honours in both years.

In 2024, Cote and his partner Josh Coenders won at last year’s Skills Canada BC competition in the robotics category, advancing to the national Skills Canada competition.

The event is an Olympics-style competition for skilled trades and technology, such as graphic design and carpentry.

They finished fourth in the 2024 competition in Quebec City.  In 2025, Cote and Coenders defended their crown at provincials and will be heading to Regina, Saskatchewan in May.

Cote told Energeticcity.ca the entry will feature a robot throwing foam snowballs at snowmen simulating a snowball fight.

“We pick them up via my robot, and then we’ve got what we call fly-away launcher,” said Cote. “We spin up two wheels with a gear ratio to about 5000 r.p.m. [rotations per minute], and just lob them across.”

Cote will graduate from NPSS in June and attend Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in the fall.

He will major in mechanical engineering and hopes to work within the aerospace industry in the future.

For more information about the CAR, visit its website.