Tumkuhiraj, Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh – A four-day event from October 27, 2025 – Model Rocketry and CANSAT India Student Competition in Uttar Pradesh with IN-SPACe Model Rocketry and CANSAT Competition, igniting Kushinagar skies, with Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla inspiring at the Grand Finale.

Rockets streaked across the horizon and miniature satellites zoomed to life as the IN-SPACe Model Rocketry and CANSAT India Student Competition 2024-25 roared into its four-day national grand finale along the banks of the Narayani River. Transforming this rural pocket of Uttar Pradesh into India's newest hub of cosmic ambition, the event, organised by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and Astronautical Society of India (ASI), is unleashing the ingenuity of over 600 students from 71 teams nationwide.

In a high-stakes fusion of classroom theory and real-world rocketry, participants are competing in two electrifying categories: Model Rocketry (35 teams) and CANSAT (36 teams). The competition is set with the challenge to design, build, and launch custom model rockets that propel 1 kg miniature satellites (CANSATs) to an altitude of 1 km, mimicking authentic space missions complete with payload deployment, atmospheric data collection, and safe recovery. 

These soda-can-sized satellites, not mere toys, are engineered to gather metrics like temperature, pressure, and altitude.  These are the stepping stones to India's burgeoning $44 billion space economy by 2033.

The competition kicked off with a ceremonial launch inaugurated by Shri Shashank Mani Tripathi, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Deoria, alongside IN-SPACe Additional Director Dr Vinod Kumar and ASI Executive Secretary Dr Vinod Singh. "It is an honour to host this CANSAT Model Rocket Competition in the Tamkuhi Raj area of Deoria Lok Sabha in Kushinagar District," Tripathi declared. "This will excite the imagination of the region and seed a culture of space awareness, putting Uttar Pradesh on the map as a cradle of innovation."

Day one buzzed with anticipation as the first waves of launches lit up the sky- four teams in the CANSAT segment alone deploying their payloads via Thrust Tech-designed rockets, drawing cheers from peers and mentors alike.  Over the course of the event, organisers anticipate up to 37 successful launches, with early frontrunners emerging from institutions like RV College of Engineering (Bengaluru) in Model Rocketry and SVKM’s Dwarkadas J. Sanghvi College of Engineering (Mumbai) in CANSAT.

 Runners-up spots are heating up, with Dayanand Sagar College of Engineering (Bengaluru) and BITS Pilani (Hyderabad) vying for glory in satellite tech.

It is organised as a launchpad for skills that span rocketry fundamentals, payload engineering, and mission management, all while honing teamwork and problem-solving under the watchful eyes of ISRO and IN-SPACe experts.

The excitement was amplified with 'Art-in-Space' and 'Space Quiz 20:20' initiatives engaging nearly 73,000 students across seven Uttar Pradesh districts, from Gorakhpur to Gautam Buddha Nagar.

In a nation racing toward Viksit Bharat by 2047, events like this are fueling the fire- one mini-rocket at a time. As the Narayani River flows onward, so too does the tide of Indian space talent, ready to reach for the stars.

Capping the spectacle on October 30 was Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India's pioneering astronaut slated for the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station. Shukla's attendance at the closing ceremony promises an out-of-this-world dose of motivation, urging participants to "aim higher and nurture curiosity" in the service of a self-reliant Bharat.

About IN-SPACe

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) spearheads India's commercial space sector, nurturing startups, academia, and innovators to propel the nation's orbital ambitions.

About ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) pioneers India's space endeavours, from Chandrayaan missions to everyday satellite services, inspiring a generation of scientists.

About ASI

The Astronautical Society of India (ASI) enables aerospace education, research, and global partnerships to elevate India's role in the cosmos.