Samueli School of Engineering

Abstract: The CanSat Competition is an international event held annually that is focused around design/build/fly engineering. In this year’s mission, the team must design and build a CanSat which will be launched 700m high using a high-powered model rocket and then perform a controlled descent while transmitting data from its onboard sensors to a ground station computer. Initially, the CanSat descends under a parachute at 15 m/s. The first payload is released at 500m and the second payload will be released at 400m. The payloads are designed to function like maple seeds; upon deployment, they will auto-rotate and descend at a rate of 20 m/s. The CanSat must be equipped with sensors to monitor environmental conditions (temperature, pressure, GPS position, altitude) and system performance (orientation, battery voltage). It must be capable of transmitting telemetry in real-time to a ground station computer, which the team must also design and build.