National project · Space
CanSat
National competition in which secondary school students built and launched satellites the size of a drinks can
About the project
CanSat ran the Spanish mini-satellite competition for secondary school students. The project combined research and technological development in aerospace.
A CanSat is a fully working prototype space probe the size of a soft drink can. It simulates the final phase of an interplanetary mission: a rocket carries it up to an altitude of 1,000 metres and, during a controlled descent, it collects data and sends them to the ground. Each team had to complete a compulsory mission (measuring a number of parameters) and a secondary mission of its own choosing.
The national competition, CanSat Caesaraugusta, followed the rules of the European CanSat competition, run by the European Space Agency (ESA), in which around 300 teams of students aged 14 to 18 take part. Schools from all over Spain took part, the final was held in Aragon and the winning team earned a place in the ESA European final.
In the 2018 edition, the winner was the Axular Lizeoa team from San Sebastián.
Project objectives
- Involve secondary school students in a real aerospace technology project.
- Help students learn how a satellite is studied, designed and built.
- Encourage teamwork, interest in technology and personal achievement.
The role of Ibercivis
Ibercivis developed the project together with the Cesar Laboratories at Etopia, with funding from FECYT, and organised the events of the national competition in Spain. Back in 2017 it had already helped with the final of the 1st National CanSat Competition, held at Etopia.
Partners included the European Space Agency, Etopia Centre for Art and Technology, BIFI, the Zaragoza branch of the Laboratory for Space and Microgravity Experimentation (LEEM-UZ), Zaragoza Makerspace, the School of Engineering and Architecture (EINA) of the University of Zaragoza and Zaragoza City Council.
Our activities
- Promoting the call among secondary schools all over Spain.
- Selecting 10 teams on the basis of a report covering the secondary mission, the team’s organisation plan, the feasibility of its objectives, technical and scientific support, outreach plans and fundraising.
- Organising the national final in Zaragoza (May 2018).
- Promoting the competition in media such as Heraldo de Aragón, Aragón TV, elEconomista and Infoespacial.
Project details
Type of project
National
Duration
2018 – 2019
Funding
Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) – Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
Consortium
Fundación Ibercivis and the Cesar Laboratories at Etopia
Area
Space