CanSat is a program for high school students to learn about electronics and space technology. They must develop a small satellite-like payload that performs some sort of data collection. Then, it gets dropped from a balloon or launched with a small rocket to a few thousand feet. The EDUCAN Kit is a way to get students interested in the CanSat competition, with a complete system to use as a working example or as a base to develop from.
EDUCAN uses a LoRa module for communication, an Arduino Pro Mini as the controller, a battery management system, and a few example sensors as the payload — an MPU6050 triple-axis accelerometer and gyro, and a BMP180 barometric pressure, temperature and altitude sensor. These are good examples of sensors you would want in a sub-orbital system, so you can know your attitude and altitude. It also comes with a base station for receiving signals from the “satellite”.
This would be a great way to introduce a group of students to the CanSat competition; a teacher can demonstrate the system in action, and the students get to see what’s required to develop a system that can be entered into their local CanSat competition. Obviously, students need to come up with their own ideas and design for entry, but having a working system to examine and learn from can give them a big advantage.
And for teachers or educators who aren’t interested in competing, the system is still a lot of fun to play with! Getting in touch with your local rocketry or balloon clubs can be a good way to learn about areas that are safe to launch from, and how to track and recover payloads after they land.
