2007 CanSat Competition

There is an Annual Competition open to high school (and university) groups to build 'Space type' Systems to meet specific specifications.
http://www.cansatcompetition.com/

The 2007 CanSat Competition may be of interest to local High School groups.  I believe the NASA Explorer program is not eligible, but groups with a high school affiliation are.

Basically, a pop can sized payload is built, which includes sensors, a microprocessor and transmitter/receiver.  This is launched on a high powered model rocket to a few thousand feet and data taken as the payload descends on its own parachute.  It includesthe paperwork, design and planning associated with a launch.  This years Schedule is:

The Competition Guide for 2007 will be posted in August 2006

Applications Due October 30, 2006

Design Proposal Due February 16, 2006

Design Document Due May 4, 2007

*** Launch June 2007 ***

Launch location is TBD, targeting Texas

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Last year's competition guide is available at the CanSat Competition web page.

CanSat Kits are available from Pratt Hobbies http://www.pratthobbies.com/proddetail.asp?prod=CANSAT%2D1

Lesson presentations can be found at http://members.cox.net/igalysh/cansat_lessons.html

As part of the competition, launches are provided, but for a more local launch, A local (Broadview Heights) company sells "High Powered" model rockets nearly suitable for launching a CanSat payload.
http://www.locprecision.com/index.htm

The "Forte'"PK32 has been used by some groups, with a payload bay added, to launch the CanSat.
http://www.locprecision.com/site/loc/3inch/index.html

A local model rocket club uses a field in Amhurst for (roughly) biweekly launches.
http://www.skybusters.org/Home.asp

Some examples of CanSat documentation are at
http://atic.phys.lsu.edu/aces/Aces2002/Presentations2002.html

& for those of us that are really glassy eyed a group is offering launch services in late 2007 early 2008 to 100km (~300,000 ft)
http://masten-space.com/index.html

If you are interested, please keep an eye on the http://www.cansatcompetition.com/ web site since the 2007 Guide should appear soon.  I doubt there is a good chance of 'winning' (since 'undergraduate' and 'high school' seem to be lumped together.  However, participation in something like this may be influential for some students.

- david.b.snyder@nasa.gov