With the Maldives Rocketry Challenge, Maldivians are preparing to launch rockets into space for the first time.

The Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), the country’s official space body, has launched the challenge in collaboration with the University of Padua’s aerospace engineering team in Italy, Vectoring Space, and Villa College.

Workshops for participants are currently being held in Malé and Addu and are scheduled to conclude in the middle of next month. Following the workshops, participants will build small rockets and launch them into space.

The rockets will collect flight data and test imaging systems designed to study the ocean from above. After the launch, the rockets will descend into the sea, and participants will learn techniques to locate and recover them.

The rockets will use a special propellant made from potassium nitrate and sorbitol.

“What started in Italy has now reached the Maldives. We are preparing to launch a rocket into space for the first time,” said Andrea Pagni of Vectoring Space, who is leading the project. “We hope this will encourage more young people to explore space.”

The MSRO was established in 2022 and is led by young professionals. It works in collaboration with the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the Italian company Zopars Industry.