CanSat

“From Soda to Satellite “

What is a CanSat?

Ever wondered if you could build a satellite with your own hands? That’s exactly what a CanSat is: a tiny, soda-can-sized satellite that packs real space technology into something students can design, build and launch themselves.

The CanSat we built

Components:

A CanSat has many components, but in the CanSat we built, we had:

1. A main satellite system which includes the Arduino, which sits inside your can and sends signals with the altitude and pressure values
2. A second Arduino as a Ground system connected to your PC to display the accurate values
3. All the sensing systems that detect these altitudes and pressures
4. Two radios that send these signals, one as a transmitter and another as a receiver
5. Obviously, a Can to fit the satellite in

Parts used:

1. An Arduino Uno R3 as Transmitter
2. An Arduino Uno R3 as Receiver
3. HC-12 Radio — 2 (one receiver and one Transmitter)
4. MPU6050 — The Gyroscope sensor that sends Acceleration across x, y, z axes, Gyro values across x, y, z axis and also temperature.

How we built it:

We started by connecting the transmitter HC-12 to one of our Arduino boards and wiring it according to its specifications (VCC-5V, GND-GND, TXD-D2, RXD-D3). We connected the MPU6050 to this Arduino too, as it would be present in our CanSat to detect the value.s The HC-12 and MPU6050 were placed on a breadboard. We then programmed it in the Arduino Uno IDE software.

For the receiver, we connected the receiver HC-12 to the second Arduino and programmed it for receiving the values sent by the transmitter at our ground station.

Finally, we connected the transmitter to a 9V battery (we initially tried using a 3.7V battery, but it was too low for the Arduino to power everything) and placed it inside a can.

We then tied the can to a drone so that the CanSat would fly; this is possible through a parachute as well.

Real-life applications of a CanSat:

CanSats can be used to measure Atmospheric pressure and weather monitoring, it is way more cost-efficient and an easy way to test a satellite’s sensors and communication systems. It can also be used in GPS navigation and research for students. It was a great experience, and we learnt alot in the process.

Main reference = https://cansat.esa.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/the-CanSat-Book-23-24.pdf