CanSat is an annual student design-build-launch competition for space-related topics organized by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). CanSat gives students the satisfaction of being involved with the end-to-end life cycle of a complex engineering project, from conceptual design, through integration and test, actual operation of the system, and concluding with a post-mission summary and debrief.
The competition is open to teams from universities and colleges around the world. Teams must be able to design and build a space-type system, following the approved competition guide, and then compete against each other via an actual rocket launch to determine the winners. Rockets will be provided but teams are responsible for funding the construction of their CanSat and all travel/lodging expenses.
The Application Phase (Phase 1) is now open.
To enter the CanSat Competition, teams must submit an application and a $200 competition fee that is non-refundable. The fee is used to offset the cost of competition administration, rocket motors, and other materials. Applications must be submitted by November 1, 2019 and payment will be due by November 29, 2019.
APPLY NOW: Complete the Application Form
Important Links:
- Competition Guide
- Documents (examples from previous entries)
- Mission
Next Steps:
For teams deemed eligible, application payments will be collected in November. After Preliminary Design Review (Phase 2), the top 40 scoring teams will be invited to attend the Critical Design Review (Phase 3), Launch Day (Phase 4), and Post Flight Review (Phase 5) of the completion that takes place June 11-14 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.
Administrative or Logistical Questions?
-> Email cansatadmin@astronautical.org
Technical Questions?
-> Email cansatcompetition@gmail.com
Good luck to all entrants!
