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 27โ30, 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 ofย 71 student teams, comprising aroundย 600 students,ย faculty members, and mentors, have qualified for the national finale, withย 36 teams in the CANSATย category andย 35 teams in Model Rocketry.ย 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 theย โArt-in-Spaceโย andย โSpace Quiz 20:20โย contests across seven districts of Uttar Pradesh โ 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 anย โAntariksh Rathโย equipped with rockets, satellites, astronautโs 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,ย โIt 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.โ
Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Vinod Kumar, Director, Promotion Directorate, IN-SPACe and Executive Secretary, ASI, said,ย โThis competition reflects IN-SPACeโs 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 Indiaโs 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 lifeโ
The competitionโs 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-SPACeโs ongoing efforts to promote space education, skill development, and innovation at the grassroots level, aligning with the Government of Indiaโs vision of building a self-reliant, $44 billion space economy by 2033.
