STES Rocketry

24/04/2026

Great engineering demands more than ideas — it demands belief and backing.
We extend our sincere gratitude to YVN Technologies and Akash Surekha for enabling our vision at the Latin American Space Challenge 2025.

With your support, we were able to achieve:

• Development and launch of the solid propulsion rocket SAHASRA, integrated with the R.I.S.E satellite payload
• Design and development of the R.I.S.E satellite incorporating an HRS system along with a Fiber Optic Gyroscope
• Engineering of India’s first student-researched liquid rocket engine, PATANKAR
• Development of the indigenous liquid propulsion rocket VIKRANT, demonstrating advanced propulsion capabilities
• Creation of indigenous avionics, including the PRATAP SMD PCB
• Design and fabrication of the BOSE telemetry PCB for real-time data acquisition and communication
• In-house manufacturing of an airbrake system for aerodynamic control in SAHASRA
• Design and fabrication of in-house parachute systems for reliable recovery operations

This is just the beginning. As a team, we remain committed to pushing boundaries, advancing indigenous technology, and representing Indian student engineering on a global stage. 🚀

15/03/2026

Not every sponsor becomes family
— Tuhin Sir & YVN did...
From supporting our liquid engine project to standing with us again this year, we’re proud to be partners chasing one shared goal: building better launch vehicles.
Literally the coolest partner that we could ask for
Long road behind us. Light years ahead. No looking back now. 🚀

03/03/2026

For a dream that dares to reach beyond the skies, we built a heart that burns with precision, the Patankar Liquid Engine. 🚀🔥
We conducted this test on 20 October 2025.

We are proud to share the successful static fire test of our in-house developed liquid engine, the force behind Vikrant, India’s first student-built liquid rocket, flown at the Latin America Space Challenge 2025 in Brazil.

Named in honor of Suhas V. Patankar, creator of the SIMPLE algorithm and a global pioneer in Computational Fluid Dynamics, whose work continues to inspire generations of engineers and innovators. 🇮🇳

Engine Specifications
Peak Thrust: 2.5 kN
Burn Time: 2.5 s
Total Impulse: 3500 Ns

This milestone marked a defining chapter for student-driven liquid propulsion in India, built through relentless passion, precision engineering, and the collective spirit of the STES Rocketry team.

Latin American Space Challenge Sinhgad Institutes

03/03/2026

For a Sankalp as strong as Vajra, we needed a force that was equally powerful. 🚀

We are proud to share the successful static fire test of our M-class KNSb “Vajra” motor under Project Sahasra. 🔥
We conducted this test on 3 September 2025.

This motor powered our SRAD solid rocket “Sahasra” at the Latin America Space Challenge in Brazil in November 2025. It marks an important milestone in our journey to advance student-driven rocketry in India and empower young minds through science and technology. 🇮🇳🚀

02/03/2026

Being independent means pushing beyond limits.

On 15th August 2025, we celebrated Independence Day in the most fitting way we knew how, by firing up innovation. 🇮🇳🔥

We are proud to share the successful static fire test of our liquid rocket engine "Narlikar-2", a major milestone under Project Vikrant.

This test represents months of design iterations, manufacturing challenges, data analysis, and relentless teamwork by the student-led STES Rocketry Team.

Narlikar-2 will serve as the propulsion backbone for our upcoming launch vehicle, moving us one step closer to advancing student-driven rocketry in India.

The spirit of independence lies in building, testing, learning, and rising stronger.

Sinhgad Institutes
ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation

02/03/2026

STES Rocketry presents the successful static fire of our "Narlikar-1" liquid rocket engine.🚀🔥
We conducted this test on 24th July 2025

Its upgraded version was flown on our 2025 Latin America Space Challenge competition rocket “Vikrant” in November.

Powered by isopropanol and nitrous oxide, Narlikar-1 produced approximately 1 kN of thrust with a 6-second burn time. The test delivered valuable performance data and marked a major step forward in our liquid propulsion journey.

This static fire initiated a dedicated test series focused on throttling and pushing the engine to its operational limits. We are especially excited to validate our throttling systems and control strategies.

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, supporters, Sinhgad Institutes, and rocketry enthusiasts across the world. Congratulations to every team member who worked tirelessly, day and night, to turn this vision into reality.

Latin American Space Challenge Sinhgad Institutes

02/03/2026

Recap of the past year✨

02/03/2026

An unforgettable LASC 2025 for STES Rocketry. Two rockets, two major wins. 🚀🥳
Our student-built rocket "Sahasra" secured 3rd place in the Solid category and our other rocket "Vikrant" secured 2nd place in the Liquids/Hybrids category worldwide. It reached its intended apogee with precision and recovered flawlessly.

We are proudly the ONLY Indian team to represent our country Internationally with every single component- from its nosetip to boattail, fuselage, motor, flight computers, parachutes, airbrakes all developed and manufactured inhouse. 🇮🇳🇮🇳

This is our Sahasra launch video,
Powered by the inhouse developed M-class KNSB “Vajra” motor and SRAD avionics SMD flight controller "Pratap" for collecting Baro, IMU and GPS data. The LoRa based telemetry was perfected using our "BOSE" ground station PCB.

The rocket also carried with it our Project RISE 3U CubeSat equipped with our own developed fiber optic gyroscopes, AHRS & sun-moon-star tracker to build a foundation for our orbital satellite ambitions.

The entire fiberglass fuselage and the tip-to-tip laminated fins are fully designed and manufactured in-house, forming a legacy and strong foundation that the team has built since its founding in 2017.

The rocket also contained AIRBRAKES for precise apogee control, which resulted in a very small error from predicted Apogee earning praises worldwide.
Along with that a unique real time ANGLE OF ATTACK and Wind velocity collecting experiment in all 3 Axis, all integrated in the nosetip of the rocket.

It also featured our inhouse developed and manufactured elliptical main and drogue parachutes and our own developed line cutter mechanism called "Baghnakh".

Sahasra delivered exactly as engineered. 🚀🚀

Sinhgad Institutes
Latin American Space Challenge

27/02/2024

And we did see the Canopy!🪂🚀
🗓️29Jan 2024

31/01/2024

On 29th January, the team conducted a flight test of our redesigned Stellareye rocket that flew at Latin American Space Challenge last year. This demo flight has a planned apogee of 980m and achieved 750m AGL. The goal of this flight was to test the single opening dual deploy recovery system, SRAD flight computer deployment logic and telemetry, acoustic levitation payload LEVI, team designed launch rail and supporting GSE.
All components other than a backup COTS RRC3 were team designed and gave enough confidence to plan future missions at our home ground to validate new designs in flight.
Next up, Spaceport America Cup !

CC: Dhananjay Khankal Experimental Sounding Rocket Association Tanmay Kanmahale Sinhgad Institutes

20/10/2023