Welcome to the Logbook

Introduction to the CanSat Design Challenge

Hello, and welcome to our logbook regarding the CanSat Design challenge! An exciting journey begins with a rather unusual challenge to familiarize students in general with the field of aerospace engineering by undertaking a real innovative competition involving design, assembling, and flying of a satellite-like system at the size of a soda can. The idea and main rationale for such an outstanding opportunity provided for our team would be shared through further reading.

What is the CanSat Design Challenge?

The CanSat Design Challenge is a Canada based national competition where students interested in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics come together. It aims to simulate a satellite mission in every particular detail, as would be done in real-life space exploration. From brainstorming the design to the thrilling launch day, we get to experience the life cycle of a satellite mission in a very practical, affordable, and incredibly educational way.

Mission

The core mission of the CanSat Design Challenge is simple and yet full of learning opportunities: Primary Mission: Our CanSat will be launched from a cannon to an altitude of about 1 to 3 kilometers. From this height, it shall safely descend to the ground, collecting and transmitting in real time, data like altitude, temperature, and pressure, back to our ground station.

Secondary Mission: This is where creativity and innovation come into play. In this, our team will design a special feature for the CanSat, whether it is to deploy a parachute, glide like an aircraft, or perform experiments during descent. Our specified secondary mission is to catch the CanSat with a "rover" made from an RC car. The "rover" will safely catch the CanSat as it descends.

Why It's Incredible

This is not a simple science project; it is also an introduction to the details regarding satellites and how much effort is involved in launching such devices into space. In the challenge, we will:

Learn by Doing: We get to experiment firsthand with sensors, circuits, programming, and communication systems.

Solve Problems: These could be in the form of designing a descent mechanism or even assuring that our CanSat makes it through launch.

Work as a Team: Work with your team, divide up the workload, and share in the successes.

Prepare for the Future: Learn the engineering, project management, and data analysis skills necessary for career opportunities in aerospace and technology.

What's Next?

In the coming weeks, our team will brainstorm, design, and build our CanSat. We’ll test different components, solve technical issues, and prepare for launch day. This logbook will document every step of our journey – from sketches and calculations to test results and lessons learned.