Classroom photo: Pixabay

Measat has revealed details about a new competition to inspire young people about the space industry in Malaysia. To celebrate the launch of the MEASAT-3d satellite which is scheduled for June, the company is collaborating with Apadilangit to run a CanSat competition for Malaysian students. Measat announced details of the competition May 19. The competition is targeted at students at the secondary school age.

The partnership with Apadilangit aims to inspire the younger generation to explore the potential of advanced satellites and contribute to the technological and social development of Malaysia by developing new approaches in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

CanSat – a combination of the words can and satellite, refers to the beverage can-sized miniature satellites built in the competition, in a process that will enable students to understand how satellites work and their benefits. The three-phase competition will involve writing an abstract in the first phase, while the top ten shortlisted teams will participate in online workshops in the second phase and the three finalist teams will compete in testing their CanSat in the third phase.

Measat believes the MEASAT-3d will help further close the digital gap for Malaysians in remote rural areas, and more and more rural students will be able to access hi-tech careers. They will join other Malaysians who are gaining socioeconomic benefits from the digital economy, including accessing e-learning and knowledge online and participating in e-commerce.