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Introduction

The CanSat Book is a comprehensive guide developed by Andøya Space, building on collaborative efforts with Aalborg University (AAU) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). It is designed to support both students and teachers at the secondary school level, offering a hands-on, accessible entry point into space-related STEM education.

CanSat is a key component of the ESERO Norway initiative and is actively used in schools, teacher training programs, and the national CanSat competition hosted at Andøya Space.

This book is structured as a step-by-step tutorial, enabling you—whether a teacher or student—to begin with no prior experience and gradually build confidence and competence. Each chapter is crafted to help you master the use of various CanSat kits, including Arduino Uno, Teensy 4.1. There is also support for micro:bit and Raspberry Pi Pico platform planned.

You’ll start by learning what a CanSat is and understanding the competition requirements, including the primary mission—a standardized task for all teams—and the secondary mission, which allows for creative exploration. While this book focuses primarily on the primary mission, it also introduces elements of a secondary mission, such as integrating a GPS module.

For each platform, we guide you through: - Getting started with your microcontroller and sensor board - Implementing sensors and telemetry systems - Conducting data acquisition and final testing

Additional chapters cover the recovery system and data analysis, rounding out your CanSat project experience from launch to landing.

Kit Development Status

Kit Status Description
Arduino Uno ✅ Complete Fully documented.
Teensy 4.1 ✅ Complete Fully documented.
micro:bit 📅 Planned Planned for future release. Stay tuned for updates.
Raspberry Pi Pico 📅 Planned Planned for future release. Stay tuned for updates.

ESERO Norway logo ESERO Norway logo Andøya Space logo Andøya Space logo