Competition Overview

National competitions are held each year by ESA’s ESERO offices and other partners. The winning teams from each country will attend ESA’s special event, ‘Space Engineer for a Day’, where they will:

  • Explore cutting-edge space facilities and laboratories
  • Meet space experts
  • Present their work during a poster session
  • Participate in space-themed activities and network with other teams

Primary and Secondary Missions

  • Primary Mission: The CanSat must measure air pressure and air temperature during its descent, transmitting the data to a computer. Students analyze the data and present it in graphs, such as altitude vs. time or temperature vs. altitude.
  • Secondary Mission: Teams can develop their own creative missions, such as advanced telemetry (GPS or radiation levels), telecommand features, landing systems, or control mechanisms for targeted landings.

Supporting Participating Teams

Schools participating in the competition receive support from partner colleges, including access to advanced labs, technical mentorship, and industry guidance. Teams are provided with a starter kit, an introductory course, and ongoing technical help from dedicated mentors.

 

See more information about the CanSat project here
CanSat – European Space Agency

Registration

Registration to take part in CanSat for 2025/26 will open on 15th September 2025. Check back here to register then.

Other Projects

View other projects

Moon Camp

Join the Moon Camp Challenge and design a project related to space exploration. Create anything from a scientific experiment or astronaut base design to a 3D printing model or virtual reality world. Choose a topic and format that suits your team and let your creativity shine.

Mission X

Learn how astronauts stay healthy in space and on Earth with Mission X. Through fun physical exercises and science investigations, students develop key skills while helping mascots Luna and Leo on their virtual journey to the Moon. Find out more and register

Climate Detectives

Are your students curious about our planet and how to protect it? Climate Detectives, a European Space Agency (ESA) project, invites students to investigate local environmental issues using tools like satellite images, climate data, or their own measurements. Through this process, students propose ways to monitor, reduce, or raise awareness of the problem, whilst also building valuable scientific and problem-solving skills.

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