Esplora is pleased to announce that five teams have been selected to participate in the CanSat Malta 2025–2026 competition
The selected teams are:
We wish the teams the best of luck in building their satellites!
What is CanSat Malta?
This is the third iteration of CanSat Malta, with the first and second editions held in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The CanSat Malta Competition is a hands-on space challenge for secondary and post-secondary students aged 14 to 18. Teams of 4 to 6 students, guided by an educator or team leader, design and build a miniature satellite — called a CanSat — that fits in the volume of a drink can.
The CanSats built by the competing teams are then launched by rocket to an altitude of several hundred metres. During their descent, the CanSats perform a primary and a secondary mission. The primary mission is to measure air temperature and pressure and transmit the data. The secondary mission is selected by the team and proposed in the application. This gives students the opportunity to experience the full lifecycle of a real space project: from mission design and construction to testing, launch, data analysis, as well as promotion and presentation.
Who Can Participate?
Why Participate?
The competition is a unique learning opportunity where students will:
Educators/Team Leaders and mentors benefit from specialised training and direct experience in leading students through an engineering design project.
What is Expected?
Students
Educators / Team Leaders
Esplora will provide every competing team with:
Timeline 2025–2026
Keep an eye on this page and on Esplora social media as we will update them with exact dates
How to Apply
Applications will open on the 15th October 2025. Teams must submit an application form on the online platform, outlining their team composition and proposed Secondary Mission.
Download the Guidelines HERE and access the Application Form HERE .
The Launch Campaign & Awards
The highlight of the competition is the rocket launch at a special event organised by Esplora Interactive Science Centre, where all teams gather to launch their CanSats. Teams will:
The winning team (students and educator/s) will be recognised at an Award Ceremony and will also be invited to attend the Space Engineer for a Day event at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands. All travel expenses will be covered. This is a unique opportunity to work with other students from all over Europe, learn from real space engineers, meet experts, and discover careers in the space sector.
FAQs
How much does the CanSat cost and what material is valid for reimbursement?
Esplora will provide all teams with a CanSat NeXT kit that costs around €75. In addition to the provided kit, Esplora shall reimburse the team for all documented components used for the CanSat (including parachute materials, the casing, components, cables, sensors etc) and ground station equipment up to a maximum of €370.
If the team finds sponsors, they can spend more on their CanSat. However, if the total cost of the CanSat exceeds €500 (inclusive of the €75 CanSat NeXT kit), points will be deducted. Teams’ final scores will be penalised with 1% per 10 euros extra spent over the maximum CanSat budget of €500. All materials needed to complete the finished CanSat that the team competes with, need to be within the €500 threshold.
How will the CanSats be judged?
The teams participating in the CanSat Malta Competition will be evaluated throughout the whole competition, with the due consideration to the following criteria:
| Category | Weight % |
| Technical Achievement | 35 |
| Scientific Value | 35 |
| Professional Competencies | 20 |
| Outreach | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
The judges will use this rubric to judge the CanSats.
Email us at stemengagement.esplora@gov.mt if you have further questions.
