The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has opened applications for the second edition of IN-SPACe’s Model Rocketry competition and the third edition of the CAN-7USAT India student competition 2026. Undergraduate student teams from engineering and science streams across India can now apply. The last date for applications is April 30, 2026.
The national level finales for both competitions are expected to take place between October and November 2026 in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh.
Competitions
The Model Rocketry competition involves the design, development, and launch of a model rocket carrying a CAN-sized (7U) satellite of 1 kg mass, which must reach an altitude of 1000 metres above the launch site. The mission also requires the safe ejection of the CAN-7USAT and precision targeted landing of the rocket post separation.
The CAN-7USAT competition involves the design, development and launch of a CAN-sized (7U) satellite of 1 kg mass to an altitude of 1000 meters above the launch site. The competition objective involves achieving a precision-targeted landing of the CAN-7USAT upon release from the rocket at a predefined location.
Through these competitions, students will learn the fundamentals of rocketry and satellite making while developing skills such as team building, cooperation, project management and interpersonal communication. Over several months, participating teams will work through the engineering processes involved in building a launch vehicle and satellite and will compete with peers from across the country for a place in the national level finale in Kushinagar.
“The Model Rocketry and CAN-7USAT competitions are designed to give students a realistic exposure to the challenges of building and executing space missions. By working on real engineering problems, students will develop technical capabilities and learn the value of teamwork, project management and problem solving. We hope this initiative inspires young minds to explore careers in space science and contribute to India’s growing space ecosystem,” Vinod Kumar, director, Promotion Directorate, IN-SPACe, said.
The previous edition of the competition witnessed strong participation from institutions across the country. In the 2024-25 edition, a total of 67 student teams comprising nearly 600 students, faculty members and mentors qualified for the national finale, with 36 teams competing in the CAN-7USAT competition and 31 teams in the Model Rocketry competition.