Viasat's signature global STEM competition is coming to India, inviting university students across the country to develop new applications of satellite technology that improve life on Earth. Whether your background is in engineering, computer science, environmental studies, business, or any other discipline — your ideas and perspective matter.
Viasat: Space for Good India features three phases over approximately 22 weeks, progressing from written concept submissions through digital media presentations to an in-person finals event in New Delhi in October 2026 — all expenses paid by Viasat.
Milestone
Date
Pre-Registration Opens
Now
Phase 1 Opens (Concept Submission)
Monday, 8 June 2026
Phase 1 Submission Deadline
Sunday, 19 July 2026
Phase 1 Scoring & Review
20 July – 31 July 2026
Phase 2 Opens (Digital Submission)
Monday, 3 August 2026
Phase 2 Submission Deadline
Sunday, 23 August 2026
Phase 2 Scoring & Review
24 August – 4 September 2026
Phase 3 Begins (Finals Preparation)
Monday, 7 September 2026
Finalist–Mentor Matching
Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Finals — In-Person (New Delhi)
Tuesday, 27 October 2026
Eligibility: Open to all university students in India, including undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level students, across all study areas and years of study. All participants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of entering the program.
Prizes: Top three finalists will be awarded prizes.
1st Place: ₹5,00,000
2nd Place: ₹3,75,000
3rd Place: ₹2,75,000.
Guidelines
Space for Good empowers university students in India to combine their love of space with their formal learning to develop new applications of satellite technology that demonstrably improve life on Earth. We are specifically seeking concepts that align with and leverage one or more of the following areas:
Equitable and Sustainable Access to Space
Direct to Device (D2D) and IoT
Rural and Remote Digital Empowerment
Space Industry Collaboration (Open Architecture)
Multi-Orbit Constellations
Cybersecurity in Space
Sovereignty and Resilient Space Capabilities
Disaster and Humanitarian
Digital Infrastructure in Space
Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)
Lunar Communication
Detailed descriptions of each focus area are provided in the Learning Resources tab.
Three Phases
Phase 1 - Concept Submission (6 weeks). Open to all eligible university students in India. Answer a series of written questions (totaling up to five pages) explaining your high-level “Space for Good” concept. Phase 1 will be scored by two AI systems (one Viasat, one HeroX) with close human oversight. The top 50–60 submissions will be reviewed, and 30 will advance to Phase 2.
Phase 2 - Digital Submission (3 weeks). Create a 3-minute digital submission — video, podcast, animation, or other digital format. Scored by India-based Viasat employees and partners. Six advance to Finals.
Phase 3 - The Finals (8 weeks). Finalists invited to New Delhi on Tuesday, 27 October 2026 (all expenses paid). Matched with employee mentors. Present in person to a panel of industry experts.
Phase 1 Submission
In Phase 1, you will answer a series of questions about your concept, including what problem it solves, its innovation, how it connects to Viasat's capabilities, its commercial viability, and how you would measure its impact. The total submission is approximately five pages. Full questions and character limits are available in the submission form. Use of AI is permitted, but ensure the core of your concept is your own idea; you may be asked to explain it in person. All submissions must be in English.
Open to all university students, including graduate and doctoral-level students of any study area and year who are attending school in India. All participants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of entering the program. Students must accept the Challenge-Specific Agreement before submitting.
The Viasat: Space for Good team has developed learning modules that feature resources—including interviews with experts—specifically designed to supplement and complement your existing knowledge. Accessing these tools is optional, but doing so will maximize your success in Phase 1. See the Learning Resources tab to begin.
Three first-place winners. Three countries. Three very different ideas that made it to the finals. In the Advice & Insight module, you can hear from Enrique Gomez-Jackson (US winner), Kyra Manuel (UK winner), and Mayank Golechaa (India winner) on how they approached their submissions and what they wish they had known earlier. This is the closest thing to a blueprint that exists for this competition. The module is in the Learning Resources tab -- July 19 is the deadline, and past winners are telling you how they got there.
The European Space Agency commissioned a study to answer a simple but alarming question: what would happen to ESA member states if satellite communications disappeared for seven days? The answer is in the Space Technology Fundamentals module of the Learning Resources, and it makes a compelling case for why the work you're proposing actually matters. Alongside that study, you'll find five PDF modules developed by Viasat engineer Shaffath Shakir covering satellite fundamentals, the communication link, ground segment operations, advanced architectures, and satellite applications. If you're still building your technical foundation, this is where to go. Deadline: July 19.
What do judges actually look for? Before you submit your solution, hear directly from the people who previously scored it. In the Advice & Insight module, Ben Colton (Head of Market Analysis and Business Intelligence at the European Space Agency) and Pawan Kumar (CEO and Co-Founder of Skyroot Aerospace) each share what separates a sharp submission from a forgettable one. Head to the Learning Resources tab, open the Advice & Insight module, and watch their videos now. Your submission deadline is July 19 -- there's still time to use what they tell you.
As of today, you now have access to the full guidelines of the challenge so you can begin working on your solutions.
To begin, click the “Solve this Challenge” button. Once you’ve accepted the legal agreement, you’ll be officially signed up as a competitor.
If you’re ever feeling stuck, the challenge forum is the first place to go. The forum is there for you to ask questions, seek advice, bounce ideas around, and get to know your fellow innovators. Now get cracking! We can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Thank you for pre-registering for Viasat: Space for Good India 2026! We’re so glad to have you on board, and we can’t wait to get started!
Welcome to the challenge page! All the relevant information about the challenge will live here. Check back here regularly for competition updates and other important news.
If you have any questions, or if you just want to say hi, send a message to the Forum. You can also comment directly on this post, and one of us will be in touch.
Hold tight and wait for updates — you’ll be hearing from us shortly.
We hope that you’re as excited as we are to get started. Thank you for your interest!
