CanSat, also known as an atmospheric probe, whose mission simulates the exploration of the atmosphere of an alien planet, was the first project created under the AGH Space Systems banner. The idea to create it arose from the desire to participate in the international CanSat Competition, held annually in Texas, USA, and co-organized by NASA.
To compete in this event, a team was formed consisting of five students who had previously participated in the concluded DEPLiX project, aimed at building a satellite. The newly formed AGH Space Systems was expanded to include two more students, and work on the probe began. This effort was made possible by obtaining a ministerial grant from the Generation of the Future program.
The probes, in the form of planetary landers, created for the CanSat Competition aim to familiarize students with the preparation and execution of real space missions. This goal dictates the format of the documentation, the testing of the construction, and the evaluation process. The first two stages of the competition involve writing Design Review and Critical Design Review documents, which are then presented during a teleconference with judges from NASA. During the final stage, held in Texas, the team must present the probe’s components in terms of regulatory requirements and safety issues. This is followed by rocket launches, after which the mission results and conclusions are presented. The tasks set before the participants vary slightly each year, but the competition format remains unchanged.
Mission of the CanSat 2015 probe:
CanSat Competition 2015 required the construction of a probe that collects data such as temperature, pressure, and orientation in space, stabilizes the image of the video filmed from its deck (counteracting camera rotation), maintains a descent speed below 10 m/s, and lands while protecting a raw egg, which simulates delicate equipment found inside spacecraft. All information had to be transmitted via Xbee to the ground station and displayed in real time. The camera image was saved on a card, and the egg payload was meant to simulate sensitive equipment inside spacecraft. Additionally, the entire system had to fit within a protective container with maximum dimensions of 125 mm in diameter and 310 mm in height, and the weight had to be 600 +/- 10 g.
The dedicated electronics system, ground station application, and lander structure with two autorotating, counter-rotating propellers used to reduce the structure’s rotation were created through dedicated work that lasted from the start of the academic year. Since the probe’s design did not sufficiently counteract rotation around its own axis, an additional stabilization system was created. All elements, both at the subsystem level and integrated, were thoroughly tested before the competition.
Testing was the strongest point of AGH Space Systems. Our CanSat conducted seven test flights in a rocket called Carbonara, built by the Polish Rocketry Society, even before the event in the United States.
In their debut appearance at the CanSat Competition, the AGH Space Systems team scored 97.83% for the Preliminary Design Review documentation, 99.24% for the Critical Design Review, and the final score, thanks to meeting all the basic and bonus tasks in the competition final, was 98.56%. These results secured us 1st place, beating 60 teams from around the world.
Our CanSat was created in a designated corner of room 133 in building B-4. This was the entire infrastructure the team had.
Thanks to the success, we gained publicity and support from the university and private sponsors. To date, the seven-member team has quickly expanded to over thirty members and has started working on other designs. This year has given us direction, spirit, and a motto that continues to guide us today.
Leader: Adam Kurzak
Mechanical Section: Bartosz Postulka, Robert Betka, Tomasz Fuchs, Weronika Mrozińska
Electronics Section: Bartosz Moczała
Ground Station Section: Jakub Rachucki, Adam Kurzak
Logistics and Marketing Section: Adam Kurzak
