CanSat 2018

What is CanSat?

CanSats in Europe is an initiative of the European Space Agency (ESA).

A CanSat is a simulation of a real satellite, integrated within the volume and shape of a soft drink can. The challenge for the students is to fit all the major subsystems found in a satellite, such as power, sensors and a communication system, into this minimal volume. The CanSat is then launched to an altitude of a few hundred metres by a rocket or dropped from a platform or captive balloon and its mission begins: to carry out a scientific experiment and achieve a safe landing.

CanSats offer a unique opportunity for students to have a first practical experience of a real space project. They are responsible for all aspects: designing the CanSat, selecting its mission, integrating the components, testing, preparing for launch and then analysing the data.

Sizing a Parachute

For the CanSat edition of 2018, I wrote a Python script based on J.R. Brohm's "The Mathematics of Flat Parachutes" which calculates how big the CanSat parachute should be.

It takes as input:

• Height(m) : height from which the CanSat is thrown

• Mass(g) : CanSat's mass

• Terminal Velocity(m/s) : desired terminal velocity

• Type of parachute:

  • N-sided-polygon
    • Without hole
    • With hole
  • Cross
  • Number of Sides(>=5) : optional! only if type N-sided-polygon
  • Hole Diameter(cm) : optional! only if type N-sided-polygon with hole

  And outputs:

  • Time of flight without parachute(s)
  • Impact velocity without parachute(m/s)
  • Parachute area(m^2 and cm^2)
  • Pretty Graph : optional!