In the academic year 2016/2017, we decided to participate for the third time in the international CanSat Competition, co-organized by NASA. This time, it was once again a simulation of a mission to explore the atmosphere of Venus, and the lander was to glide during the mission. The team’s trip to the competition final was made possible by people who supported our initiative through donations in the crowdfunding campaign on the PolakPotrafi.pl portal and by the AGH University of Science and Technology.
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 assumption dictates the format of the documentation, testing of the construction, and the evaluation process. The first two stages of the competition involve writing Design Review and Critical Design Review documents and presenting them during a teleconference with judges from NASA. During the final, which takes place in Texas, the team must present the probe’s components in terms of regulatory requirements and safety issues. Then, rocket launches take place, after which the mission results and conclusions are presented. The tasks set before participants change slightly each year, but the competition format remains unchanged.
Mission of the CanSat 2017 probe:
CanSat 2017 was not only constrained by the dimensions in which the container had to fit (125 mm in diameter and 310 mm in height) and the mass requirement of 500 +/- 10 g, but also by power budget constraints. The only power source for the lander was photovoltaic panels. Additionally, a significant change compared to previous editions was the addition of separate onboard electronics for the protective container, meaning that data was initially transmitted by the container, and after separation, the transmission from the container would stop and start directly from the probe.
The CanSat structure was made using self-laminated composite elements, which ensured its high strength and rigidity. Combined with the high-efficiency photovoltaic panels we used and the custom-designed, miniaturized electronic system, this resulted in a very low overall mass. Thanks to these savings, a large part of the required 500 g could be allocated to a weight that ensured the lander’s stability during gliding.
The electronics created for the CanSat 2017 project were designed to collect information about pressure, accelerations, and temperature for both the container and the lander. Additionally, the lander was also tasked with taking pictures at the highest possible frequency. Most tasks were successfully completed. However, due to delays in work, the SD card photo saving feature did not work, although taking pictures was an additional task.
The CanSat flight was tested several times using a kite, rocket, and drops. AGH Space Systems qualified for the final without problems, and on the first day, we scored 100% for meeting the regulatory requirements. On the mission day, strong winds caused many problems for all teams. The electronics of our container worked flawlessly, and we received data during the first phase of the flight. However, just a few dozen meters before separation from the lander, which occurred at 400 m, we lost the signal. The CanSat was blown so far that the range was not sufficient to receive any data from the lander. We saw the separation and the probe’s flight, but despite hours of searching, we were unable to find either the lander or the container.
The team achieved 94.86% in the first stage of the competition for the Preliminary Design Review and 95.76% in the second stage for the Critical Design Review. Despite losing the lander, thanks to these results and the success of parts of the mission and the Post Flight Review presentation, we placed 20th out of 89 teams.
We learned many valuable lessons from the implementation of this project. These lessons, both in engineering and logistics and marketing, were applied in subsequent designs and initiatives.
Leader: Weronika Mrozińska
Mechanical Section: Przemysław Drożdż, Weronika Mrozińska, Artur Biernat, Tomasz Fuchs, Mikołaj Stryja
Electronics Section: Tomasz Tatara, Jakub Rachucki, Bartosz Moczała, Dagmara Stasiowska
Ground Station Section: Jacek Garbuliński, Karol Horosin
Logistics and Marketing Section: Weronika Mrozińska, Artur Biernat, Bartosz Postulka
