Jakarta, INTI - A student team from Politeknik Elektronika Negeri Surabaya (PENS) has achieved 3rd place in the International CanSat Competition 2026, a mini satellite contest organized by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) in Virginia, United States. The team, known as Bamantara EEPISAT, returned to Indonesia on June 17, 2026, following the competition’s final stage held from June 4–7.
The Bamantara EEPISAT team consists of 23 students from various study programs, supervised by advisors Nobby Bagus Muliawan, S.Tr.T., M.Tr.T., and Hendhi Hermawan, S.ST., M.T. Team representatives stated that they faced several challenges throughout the competition journey, both technical and operational, before ultimately reaching the global podium.
Fortunately, the team received support from the PENS alumni network in the United States. “This was our first experience going abroad. During travel and preparation challenges, we reached out to PENS alumni in the U.S. for assistance in finding solutions. We also prepared multiple backup scenarios and troubleshooting systems for the payload, so when issues occurred, we could respond quickly,” said a Bamantara EEPISAT representative, as quoted from the PENS website on Monday, June 22, 2026.
For most team members, this was also their first time traveling overseas, making the experience especially memorable. They had to adapt to a new environment and culture while simultaneously handling various technical challenges during preparation.
Technical Excellence and Competition Performance
PENS Director, Dr.-Ing. Ir. Arif Irwansyah, S.T., M.Eng., praised the dedication and hard work of the students and supervising lecturers who guided the project through to an international level competition. “This achievement shows that PENS students not only possess strong technical competence, but also the ability to adapt, collaborate, and solve problems in challenging situations. This is the kind of global talent character we aim to continuously develop,” he stated.
The CanSat Competition is one of the most prestigious aerospace engineering challenges, requiring students to design, build, test, and operate a miniature satellite the size of a soda can capable of performing autonomous missions. This year, the competition featured 36 finalist teams from top universities worldwide, making it highly competitive.
The team progressed through a rigorous selection process, including proposal submission, Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), and a series of technical tests such as thermal testing, pressure testing, drop tests, and radio communication system trials.
In the final stage, the Bamantara EEPISAT payload successfully executed its mission during launch and generated data that was later presented to the judges in the Post Flight Review (PFR) session.
Based on overall technical evaluation and presentation results, Bamantara EEPISAT secured third place globally, behind Thailand in first place and the United States (host team) in second place.
Conclusion
Bamantara EEPISAT’s achievement in the International CanSat Competition 2026 highlights PENS students’ strong technical capability, resilience, and global competitiveness in aerospace innovation. The result reflects consistent preparation, teamwork, and successful mission execution on an international stage.
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