The CanSat competition is an initiative set up by the European Space Agency to encourage young people to enter STEM. The competition teaches the necessary skills for these careers: teamwork, time management, coding, problem solving, and communication. The competitors must design and create a satellite to measure and record scientific data using parts that fit within the size and shape of a coke can. There are three stages of the competition: regional, national, and European. In each stage contestants must launch their satellites, collect and display the data, and then present it and the design process they went through to a panel of judges.

For the Regional Competition we, at Colaiste Iognaid SJ (Jesuit School), in Ireland, were required to collect data on Air Temperature and Pressure as part of our Primary mission. This involved soldering components to circuitry, coding, parachute and can design and construction.  We also had to cover the outreach for the competition, setting up accounts on social media to promote the competition and display our progress, and make presentations for local schools and media.

In the few days leading up to the launch we were scrambling to make sure everything was working, accounted for and put the finishing touches on our presentation. When we arrived at the Regional final in Athlone we were put in a waiting room as each team launched their cans separately. Our CanSat was launched to an altitude of approximately one kilometre by a drone.  It was then given a gradual descent where it collected data for our primary mission. We were given time to graphically analyse our data before presentations and judging commenced.

We got up to present with our hearts in our throats, speaking one by one about the different areas of the project, and finally reached the end where the judges would ask their own questions. They quizzed us on how it was designed, what the problems we encountered were, what our talking points in school presentations had been, and more.

We were called into a large auditorium for the award ceremony. When our team’s name was announced as regional champions and called up to take the trophy, we were all in shock. The other teams applauded as we were presented with medals and a massive silver trophy. It was simply surreal.

We returned home as champions. Now we’re planning for the National Competition on the 28th and 29th April, where we need to design a secondary mission involving advanced telemetry and a landing system for our can. We are working with a more advanced processer and sensors and re-evaluating our can design in the hope of progressing through to the European finals.

The students would love to share their experience with other students from across Europe and globally and give them some more information on their project. As this is a global competition, interested students can enter the competition next year in their own countries. We would like to run the Connected Classroom on Wednesday 27th April 2022. Please let us know if you are interested to connect your students by clicking on this link.

Please follow us; Oisin O’ Callaghan, Michael Young, Leon Schofield, Colm O’ hEocha, Mary Flannery and Daniel Carey on our journey to the National Finals through our Social Media platforms: twitter – @JesCanSat2021 and Instagram – @team_skeld_cansatcompetition