Space Camp 2025 (1 of 5): UCP - Lahore - Design, Build and Launch Your First Satellite
The Space Research Center (SRC) at the University of Central Punjab (UCP), in collaboration with SUPARCO — Pakistan’s National Space Agency — and Research Solutions & Ventures (RESOLVE), successfully hosted the first edition of Space Camp 2025 from 2 to 4 September 2025 at UCP, Lahore. Held under the inspiring theme of World Space Week 2025 — “Living in Space”, this three-day hands-on satellite-building camp marked the beginning of a landmark series that would travel across five of Lahore’s premier universities.
The camp was
organized under the leadership of Dr. M. Kamran Saleem, Associate
Professor and Director of the Space Research Center (SRC-UCP), and Dr.
Muhammad Waseem, Director of RESOLVE (SUPARCO). Together, they brought an
extraordinary learning experience to engineering students, STEM learners, and
young space enthusiasts — giving them the rare opportunity to design, build,
and launch their very own satellite.
A Grand Inauguration
The camp kicked
off with a formal inauguration ceremony, bringing together senior officials,
faculty members, and the organizing team in a ribbon-cutting that officially
launched Space Camp 2025 at UCP. The ceremony set the tone for what would be
three days of intense, inspiring, and hands-on aerospace education.
A highlight of the opening was the presentation of a commemorative framed satellite image, exchanged between the senior officials of UCP and SUPARCO, symbolizing the strong and growing partnership between academia and Pakistan’s national space programme.
Day 1 — From Theory to the Stars
The first day
opened with welcome remarks and team formation, followed by a comprehensive
series of lectures covering the fundamentals of satellite technology.
Participants were introduced to commercial satellite technologies, mission
design principles, and the key subsystems that make a satellite function —
including Command & Data Handling, Power (EPS), Attitude Determination and
Control (ADCS), RF Communication, and Satellite Payloads.
A packed audience
of university students and young learners engaged attentively as lead trainers
walked them through the building blocks of space systems engineering, with the
SRC’s own satellite models and aerospace prototypes — including a model rocket,
drone, and CubeSat — on display throughout the venue.
The afternoon
brought one of the most exciting moments of Day 1 — a live hands-on
demonstration of the EYASSAT Kit, a professional-grade educational
satellite system provided by SUPARCO. Students gathered around the EYASSAT
station as trainers demonstrated real satellite assembly, integration, and
operation, offering participants a direct glimpse into how actual space
hardware is handled by engineers.
Day 2 — Building Your Own Satellite
Day 2 was where
the real excitement began. Each team received their CANSAT Explorer Kit
(CK-2508) — a custom-designed, indigenously developed educational satellite
kit produced by SRC-UCP and RESOLVE. Compact enough to fit inside a soda can,
the CANSAT is a fully functional satellite simulator packed with five stacked
PCBs, integrating sensors for magnetometry, accelerometry, barometric pressure,
GPS, temperature, and an onboard camera.
Under the close
guidance of the lead trainers, participants assembled the CANSAT Flight Model
step by step — integrating the OBC (ESP32-WROOM), ADCS sensors (MPU6050,
HMC5883, BMP180), the Power Subsystem (LiPo battery and boost converter), the
GPS and SD card storage, and finally the ESP32-CAM payload module. Teams worked
with laptops, assembly guides, multimeters, and their own hands to bring their
satellite to life.
The energy in the
room was electric. University students and school participants alike leaned in
together, wiring subsystems, testing connections, and validating sensor outputs
on their laptops. No prior satellite engineering experience was required — only
curiosity and determination.
Day 3 — Launch Day!
The final day
culminated in the most thrilling moment of the entire camp — the CANSAT
Launch and Landing demonstration. With parachutes attached and ground
stations ready, teams prepared their assembled CANSATs for flight. Participants
gathered outdoors on the UCP campus, eyes fixed upward, as the CANSAT was
deployed and began transmitting real-time telemetry data — temperature,
pressure, altitude, GPS coordinates, and gyroscope readings — back to the
ground station.
A Diverse Community of Space Enthusiasts
One of the most remarkable aspects of the UCP
Space Camp was the diversity of its participants. University engineering
students, school-age learners, and even parents participated side by side —
united by a shared passion for space and technology. The camp’s inclusive
design ensured that regardless of age or background, every participant left
with practical skills, a deeper understanding of satellite systems, and a
genuine connection to Pakistan’s space ecosystem.
Organizing Institutions
The Space Camp 2025 at UCP was jointly organized
by:
•
Space Research Center (SRC), University of Central
Punjab (UCP)
•
SUPARCO — Pakistan’s National Space & Upper
Atmosphere Research Commission
•
RESOLVE — Research Solutions & Ventures
(SUPARCO)
The camp was also supported by Uraan Pakistan,
the Prime Minister’s Innovation Support & Startup Grants, the Ministry of
Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Kalam4Solutions, World Space
Week Pakistan, and SEAD (Space Education & Awareness Drive).
The UCP Space Camp 2025 was just the beginning.
The series continued across four more of Lahore’s top universities — UET, LUMS,
LCWU, and ITU — carrying the same mission forward: to make space technology
accessible, hands-on, and inspiring for the next generation of Pakistani
engineers and scientists.
Stay
tuned for our coverage of each upcoming camp in the series.
Contact
Faculty of Engineering - Email: kamran.saleem@ucp.edu.pk
University of Central Punjab, Lahore, PAKISTAN
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