Team : United Technical College CanSat The CanSat is then launched by a rocket up to an altitude of few KMs, or dropped from a platform, drone or high altitude balloon. Then its mission begins. This involves carrying out a scientific experiment and/or a technology demonstration, achieving a safe landing, and analysing data.
The basic Idea of Cansat project is that it is a technology demonstrator, and an educational tool. CanSat, by itself, it not developed with any scientific objective in mind.
Cansat missions, as it comes, are usually aimed for people to gain hands on experience of a mission planning and execution. That is why, it is often used as an "entry level" mission for those involved in.
However, Cansats do offer some interesting aspects. First of all, Cansats are standardized. Thus, you can make a standard rocket, and fit the Cansat directly inside the fairing.
Speaking of direct integration, the other aspect is Rapid Development and Rapid Deployment. Remember Cansats are not intended to be flown in space, but in the atmosphere. So, when you have, say an emergency, e.g., a Volcano outbreak you can quickly assemble one. and launch it.
Being relatively cheap, you can also launch a few of them.
Currently, along with my friends and colleagues, I am investigating the use of Cansats for the following purpose:
- Monitoring Flood ,Forest fire
- Validating Satellite Retrieval of Cloud Parameters (e.g., aerosol optical depth)
- Investigating Cloud Thermodynamics 4.Can be used as radiosonde