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CanSat is a European Space Agency competition for 2nd Level Students (Transition Year and upwards) run by ESERO Ireland in association with CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory and third level colleges.
What is CanSat
A CanSat is a simulation of a real satellite, built inside a empty soft drink can
CanSat Competition
Teams of school students compete to design, build and test a mini-satellite or CanSat. The competition gives students a feeling of excitement and technological achievement by launching their own satellite and gives them their first practical experience of a real space project.
Your Mission … should you choose to accept it….
Entry is open to 4/6 second level students per team (Transition Year, Fifth Year and Sixth Year).
Support for participating teams
The partner college will support participating schools by providing access to state-of the-art labs, technical support, and college/industry mentors for the competing teams. Each team and their teacher will be provided with a kit, an introductory course, and on-going technical support from a dedicated technical mentor.
And now for the Science part
Each team develops a CanSat – Arduino based electronic circuitry housed in a drinks can which takes measurements and transmits back to a computer. The team is responsible for all aspects of the design, selecting the missions, integrating the components, testing, preparing for launch, and then analysing the data. The team are brought to a launch site and the CanSat is launched and released from a height. The CanSat must take measurements and transmit the data on its journey back down.
CanSat Primary Mission
After release and during descent, the CanSat shall measure the following parameters and transmit the data to the “ground station” (A laptop):
CanSat Secondary Mission
The student must develop any secondary mission of their choice; these are just some examples
A CanSat feature on RTE’s programme, INSIDERS.
The 2022/23 CanSat Ireland competition launched in October 2022
Here are the Competition Guidelines for 2022/23:
2023 CanSat Ireland Guidelines Final
A teacher information evening was held on Tuesday 18th October 2022
Regional Competitions
There are 7 regional partners (third level colleges) currently confirmed for the 2022/23 competition
Each of the colleges will be working to train teams from local schools between now and March 2023. See the training videos here for some of the topics which the students will become familiar with. Colleges will host a regional competition in February / March 2023 Dates will be confirmed directly with participating teams
Winners from each region will participate in the CanSat Ireland National Final on 4th and 5th May 2023 in Emo Court, Co Laois The Irish national winner will represent Ireland in the European competition in June 2023.
Teams of Senior Cycle students can register using the link below for the 2021/22 CanSat Ireland competition
2023 CanSat Registration Form
For further information please contact: