The Sky Is The Limit For Malta’s Young Scientists As CanSat 2025–2026 Launches
The CanSat Malta Competition 2025–2026 was officially launched today at the Esplora Interactive Science Centre, bringing together educators, students, and stakeholders to kick off the third edition of this innovative national STEM initiative. Organised by Esplora, the competition challenges students aged 14 to 18 to design, build, and launch a miniature satellite—known as a CanSat—that fits into the volume of a soft drink can.
Mary-Ann Cauchi, Senior Director of Esplora, celebrated the spirit of discovery and innovation. She remarked that “at Esplora we believe that great science is powered by creativity. CanSat brings STEAM to life: students’ prototype, test, fail forward, and try again; just like professional teams do. With guidance from educators and our team, participants gain the technical skills, and the mindset Malta needs for its next generation of innovators,” she said.
From her end, Deputy Director of STEAM Engagement, Kiki Mizzi introduced the programme and outlined this year’s timeline. “CanSat is more than just a competition—it’s an opportunity for young people to dream bigger, to experiment, and to see themselves as the scientists and engineers of tomorrow. By bringing STEAM to life through hands-on exploration, we’re not just launching CanSats, we’re launching futures.”
Carmel Spiteri, Executive from the Space Programmes and Engagement Unit, delivered a technical overview of the project, highlighting its educational impact and cross-disciplinary nature. Attendees were treated to a short planetarium film led by Esplora’s Planetarium team, offering a glimpse into the kind of inspiration that fuels space-related learning among young people.
Applications for the 2025–2026 competition opened yesterday, and will remain open until 28th November 2025. Applications can be submitted here.
An online information session will be held on the 21st October at 4pm to support potential applicants. The CanSat construction and testing phase will take place between December 2025 and May 2026, with educator and student training scheduled along the way.
The highly anticipated rocket launch will take place in April 2026, and the winning team will travel to the European Space Agency’s ESTEC facility in the Netherlands in June to participate in the “Space Engineer for a Day” experience. Participating teams will receive a CanSat kit, up to €370 in funding for additional components, and continuous support throughout the project. This competition is funded through Xjenza Malta, and Esplora will provide training and guidance to educators, equipping them to lead their teams through this exciting challenge whilst coordinating the project.
Now in its third edition, following successful competitions in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, CanSat Malta continues to empower young people to explore space, science, and engineering through hands-on learning and real-world application.
For further inquiries and information please contact [email protected] or visit our website.
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