The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Astronautical Society of India (ASI), has announced the national-level Model Rocketry/CANSAT India Student Competition 2024-25, with the grand finale scheduled to take place on the banks of the Narayani River at Tumkuhiraj, Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, from October 27–30, 2025.
The competition aims to provide students with a hands-on experience in designing, development, and launch of a model rocket that can deploy CANSAT (7U SAT) of 1 kg at 1Km altitude meeting the defined mission objectives. This will provide students opportunity to simulate real-world space missions and will also contribute in nurturing the next generation of Indian space professionals.
A total of 71 student teams, comprising around 600 students, faculty members, and mentors, have qualified for the national finale, with 36 teams in the CANSAT category and 35 teams in Model Rocketry. Participants represent universities and technical institutions from across India.
As part of the outreach leading up to the competition, IN-SPACe along with ISRO had launched the ‘Art-in-Space’ and ‘Space Quiz 20:20’ contests across seven districts of Uttar Pradesh — Gorakhpur, Deoria, Kushinagar, Jaunpur, Bahraich, Bulandshahr, and Gautam Buddha Nagar, witnessing an overwhelming response from nearly 73,000 students. This contest is being executed by Namaskar Foundation. Additionally, to ignite deep interest in Science and Tech amongst the students an “Antariksh Rath” equipped with rockets, satellites, astronaut’s suits and educational models is spreading awareness amongst students. Winners from these contests will be felicitated at the grand finale and will also experience an immersive space habitat module at the event venue.
Shashank Mani, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Deoria said, “It is an honour to host the CANSAT Model Rocket Competition in the Tamkuhi Raj area of Deoria Lok Sabha in Kushinagar District. This competition will excite the imagination of the region and seed a culture of space awareness. It aligns with the mission of Amrit Prayas our 10 year developmental strategy for the Lok Sabha, which seeks to use space technology in this region.”
Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Vinod Kumar, Director, Promotion Directorate, IN-SPACe and Executive Secretary, ASI, said, “This competition reflects IN-SPACe’s commitment to fueling experiential learning and students’ early engagement with space technology. By giving them real-world challenges to solve, we hope to build a strong foundation for India’s future scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs who will contribute to our growing space economy. The support from the Uttar Pradesh government and Kushinagar district administration has been crucial in bringing this finale to life”
The competition’s mission objectives include the design, development, and launch of a model rocket and CANSAT carrying a 1 kg payload to an altitude of 1 km, followed by safe payload ejection, recovery, and landing. Through these challenges, students gain exposure to the fundamentals of rocketry, payload design, and mission management, along with key soft skills such as teamwork, project coordination, and problem-solving.
The Model Rocketry/CANSAT India Student Competition 2024-25 marks another step in IN-SPACe’s ongoing efforts to promote space education, skill development, and innovation at the grassroots level, aligning with the Government of India’s vision of building a self-reliant, $44 billion space economy by 2033.
