Space Camp 2025 (4 of 5): ITU - Design, Build and Launch Your First Satellite

The fourth stop of the Space Camp 2025 series landed at the Information Technology University (ITU), Lahore from 23 to 25 September 2025. With just one camp remaining in the series, the energy and momentum were at their peak — and ITU delivered one of the largest and most dynamic editions yet.

Organized by the Space Research Center (SRC), University of Central Punjab (UCP), in collaboration with SUPARCO’s Space Education & Awareness Drive (SEAD), RESOLVE — Research Solutions & Ventures, CISS-Global (Global Center for Innovative Systems & Solutions), and Information Technology University (ITU), the three-day camp attracted a large and enthusiastic cohort of students from across Lahore’s technology community.

The camp was led by Dr. M. Kamran Saleem, Associate Professor and Director of SRC-UCP, and Dr. Muhammad Waseem, Director of RESOLVE (SUPARCO). Their exceptional efforts ensured that every participant received a world-class, hands-on satellite-engineering experience over three packed days.

The following video captures the complete journey of Space Camp 2025 at ITU — from hands-on satellite subsystem training using the EYASSAT kit, to the exciting assembly and drone-assisted launch of the CANSAT Explorer. Watch Pakistan’s young space pioneers in action.

Day 1 — Satellite Science Meets a Packed Auditorium

The camp opened on 23 September to a full house. A large audience of ITU students filled the lecture hall as the lead trainers took the stage, launching the session with an introduction to satellite technology, commercial space systems, and mission design principles. The CANSAT block diagram — covering OBC-COM, ADCS, EPS, and Payload subsystems — was presented in detail, giving participants a thorough understanding of how every component of their satellite would function together.

A standout moment of Day 1 was the live EYASSAT demonstration. With the SUPARCO EYASSAT kit prominently on display alongside a drone and SRC aerospace models, participants got their first hands-on glimpse of real satellite hardware. The trainers walked the audience through the satellite’s subsystems in real time, making the abstract engineering concepts come alive in the most direct way possible.

The opening day also featured a formal exchange of a commemorative framed satellite image between ITU and the organizing team, marking the official partnership and deepening the academic-space industry collaboration that underpins the entire Space Camp 2025 series.

Day 2 — Every Hand on a Satellite

Day 2 brought the moment every participant had been waiting for. Teams received their CANSAT Explorer Kits (CK-2508) and the workshop floor came alive with the focused energy of dozens of students building their very own satellites. With five PCBs to integrate — OBC, ADCS sensors, power subsystem, GPS/storage, and camera payload — every team had their work cut out for them.

The workshop floor buzzed with problem-solving, collaboration, and the occasional cheer when a sensor connection validated successfully on a laptop screen. Teams debugged, rewired, and tested until their CANSATs were fully assembled and ready. The camp was being filmed throughout — a sign of the significance this edition carried as part of the broader Space Camp 2025 series.

Day 3 — The Sky’s the Limit: Drone Launch Day

The final day moved outdoors for the most anticipated event of the entire camp — the CANSAT drone launch. Participants gathered on ITU’s open grounds under bright skies, many shielding themselves from the sun with umbrellas as the drone was prepared for takeoff. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation.

With the assembled CANSAT secured beneath the drone, it lifted off and soared into the sky before deploying the satellite under its parachute. As the CANSAT descended, it transmitted real-time telemetry data — temperature, pressure, altitude, and GPS coordinates — directly to the ground station. Participants watched, photographed, and cheered as the satellite they had built with their own hands completed its mission in the air above them.

After recovery, the teams gathered for flight data analysis, completing the full satellite mission lifecycle from design to deployment to data analysis — a true end-to-end space engineering experience compressed into three extraordinary days.

Organizing Institutions

Space Camp 2025 at ITU 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)

•      CISS-Global — Global Center for Innovative Systems & Solutions

•      Information Technology University (ITU), Lahore

The camp was also supported by SEAD (Space Education & Awareness Drive), IEEE Lahore Section, Uraan Pakistan, the Prime Minister’s Innovation Support & Startup Grants, the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Kalam4Solutions, and World Space Week Pakistan.

With four camps now successfully completed across UCP, LUMS, LCWU, and ITU, the Space Camp 2025 series heads into its grand finale. The fifth and final camp awaits at UET — bringing this landmark satellite-building journey full circle across Lahore’s finest universities.

Stay tuned for the final camp in the series!

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Contact

Dr. M. Kamran Saleem - Associate Professor | Director, Space Research Center 
Faculty of Engineering - Email: kamran.saleem@ucp.edu.pk
University of Central Punjab, Lahore, PAKISTAN