Space week, IEEE Day and Hidrochallenge Colombia 2026

Space Week 2026 and HidroChallenge Colombia 2026 are held jointly as a 5-day event at Universidad del Cauca, in celebration of IEEE Day. HidroChallenge Colombia is the first international water-rocket competition hosted at the university, co-organized with CDA and HidroChallenge IPN, bringing together teams from across Colombia and Ecuador for a week of technical exhibitions, conferences, and competition. Over these five days, the university community and the public will have access to talks by IEEE Distinguished Lecturers, hands-on technology workshops, exhibition stands featuring aerospace projects, oral presentations from competing teams to a panel of judges, and the culmination of the event with rocket launches across all competition categories, followed by the awards ceremony. This is a free, open event for students, IEEE members, researchers, and the general public. Speaker(s): Jesús Gonzales Llorente, Kumar Vijay Mishra Agenda: Day 1 (Oct 5) opens with a dedicated testing window, giving competing teams the opportunity to test their rockets on campus ahead of the competition. In the afternoon, the event officially kicks off with the opening ceremony, a welcome session for all participants, an introductory talk, and the first round of technology exhibition stands open to the university community. Day 2(Oct 6) is built around technical and educational content: a series of Distinguished Lecturer conferences, a hands-on technology workshop, activities in celebration of IEEE Day, and continued technology exhibition stands for attendees to explore. Day 3(Oct 7) marks the official start of HidroChallenge Colombia 2026, with competing teams delivering oral presentations of their rocket designs to the judging panel, alongside ongoing technology stands showcasing student and partner projects. Day 4(Oct 8) is the most visible day of the event: rocket launches across all competition categories take place on campus, accompanied by broader technology showcases featuring rockets, drones, and aircraft from participating teams and collaborators. This day marks the close of the competitive phase. Day 5(Oct 9) brings the event to a close with the awards ceremony, recognizing the winning teams across categories, followed by a closing farewell to all participants, mentors, and partner organizations. Popayan, Cauca, Colombia