The nationwide Student Rocketry Competition has officially wrapped up, revealing some of the most promising young engineers in Ukraine. The event was organized by NGO Association Noosphere in collaboration with the Ukrainian State Center for Extracurricular Education and Ukraine Spacemodelling Sport Federation.
The competition spanned two months and brought together over 120 participants from 14 regions across the country. Students competed in several technical categories, including rubber-band and parachute models, theoretical testing, and pneumatic launches. The judges were impressed by the participants’ skills and creativity, with a fierce level of competition and only small margins separating the top performers.
“Due to martial law, we can’t hold traditional in-person launch events in open fields,” explained Ihor Volkanov, President of the Ukraine Spacemodelling Sport Federation. “That’s why we introduced an adapted format: participants launch their rockets in their hometowns, record their results on video under specific guidelines, and then submit their entries to the organizers. This year, for the first time, we also introduced a new category—Air Games—which allows beginners to build and launch simple models focused on flight distance.”
After two weeks of careful evaluation, the judges announced the winners:
Category G-3-A:
1. Oleksandr Mikhalinchyk (Dnipro)
2. Kostiantyn Protsiuk (Khrystynivka)
3. Ulyana Bulas (Zolochiv)
Category G-6-A:
1. Taras Bulas (Zolochiv)
2. Artem Borysov (Dnipro)
3. Oleksandr Dekhtiariuk (Khrystynivka)
Category P-1-2:
1. Artem Borysov (Dnipro)
2. Serhii Antonenko (Dnipro)
3. Arsen Revko (Zolochiv)
Category P-1-T:
1. Artem Borysov (Dnipro)
2. Danylo Soloshchenko (Hlukhiv)
3. Kostiantyn Protsiuk (Khrystynivka)
Theoretical Round:
1. Platon Podunay (Dnipro), Maksym Khomyk (Zolochiv), Serhii Farynyak (Ivano-Frankivsk), Ivan Vavila (Shostka)
2. Volodymyr Rakitin (Dnipro), Ulyana Bulas (Zolochiv), Oleksandr Dekhtiariuk (Khrystynivka), Andrii Motrin (Ivano-Frankivsk), Tymofii Koliada (Shostka)
3. Kostiantyn Protsiuk (Khrystynivka)
Air Games (Beginner Category):
1. Denys Velykanov (Kyiv)
2. Oleh Nahornyi (Kyiv)
3. Arsen Revko (Zolochiv)
All winners will receive diplomas and prizes, with a $400 cash award from the Noosphere for first-place winners in the main categories.
But this project is about more than just rankings and rockets. It’s a chance for kids from all across Ukraine to connect with like-minded peers, sharpen their skills, and take on real-world engineering challenges—fueling their dreams and building a stronger, smarter future.
