The purpose of the fourth year spacecraft design project at Carleton University is to advance space science and technology by involving students in research efforts and encouraging innovation, as attested to by the development of seven patents over the past eleven years. Furthermore, the design process is fundamentally based on teamwork among students and communication with both industry and academia. This enables students to develop the technical and interpersonal skills necessary to becoming highly qualified personnel, ready to fuel the next generation of space science and technology. This year, the AEGIS project involves 27 graduating students seeking to develop an integrated space system including the design of a dedicated launch vehicle, a microsatellite bus and a thermal Earth-observation payload.