Azerbaijan’s National Science Team wins first place at the International “APRSAF CanSat 2025” competition

The National Science Team of Azerbaijan, established under the initiative and organizational support of the SPACE Academy of Azercosmos, has secured first place at the prestigious international competition “APRSAF CanSat 2025.” The event was organized in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Held on July 12–13 in Wakayama, Japan, the competition brought together student teams from across the Asia-Pacific region. Azerbaijan was represented by a team of four university students from different higher education institutions in the country, guided and mentored by an expert from Azercosmos.

As part of the challenge, each team was tasked with designing and launching a miniature satellite measuring no more than 124 mm in length, 68 mm in diameter, and weighing between 250–300 grams. The hands-on experience aimed to foster practical knowledge and engineering skills among the students.

Despite its small size, the device includes all key systems of a real satellite, such as power supply, communication, and sensors, but is used solely for educational and experimental purposes rather than orbital deployment.

The goal of the CanSat project is to equip students with hands-on training in aerospace engineering, teamwork, programming, system design, and technology testing that simulates real-world satellite functions. This format is especially popular in international space and engineering competitions, including those organized under APRSAF.

In addition to Azerbaijan, the 2025 competition featured teams from China, Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines—further demonstrating Azerbaijan’s successful integration into the Asia-Pacific space ecosystem.

This remarkable victory underscores Azerbaijan’s growing reputation in the fields of space exploration, engineering, STEAM education, and scientific innovation, and reflects the country’s expanding pool of highly skilled young professionals.

It is worth noting that during the 2024–2025 academic year, several international educational initiatives were successfully implemented as part of Azerbaijan’s ongoing collaboration with APRSAF and JAXA, coordinated through the SPACE Academy. These included the APRSAF Space Poster Contest, a seminar on space, aviation, and STEAM, and a space observation initiative.

Such international engagements continue to foster interest and knowledge among Azerbaijani youth in space sciences while further strengthening the country’s position on the global space stage.