2015 European CanSat Competition winners

Team Impulse from St Paul’s School have taken home first prize from the 2015 European CanSat Competition.

Pupils from St Paul’s School won 1st prize, within the advanced category, for successfully deploying an atmosphere humidity analysis CanSat and rover that was created to travel short distances on the ground.

One hundred students gathered from 14 ESA member states, in Santa Cruz Air Field in Portugal, for the 2015 CanSat European Competition, held by the European Space Agency (ESA).

A CanSat is a type of research probe, the size of a standard soda can, used to gather data and perform scientific experiments. During its sub-orbital flight a CanSat will measure and transmit back data such as air temperature, air pressure, acceleration, GPS location, humidity and radiation levels.

Each of the teams presented their satellites to an international jury of space experts, before testing the reliability of parachutes and descent rates. Not all teams were successful during this preliminary testing phase, as many electronic failures were brought to light.

Team Impulse from St Paul’s School however remained focused as their CanSat deployed smoothly and collected valuable data, which was successfully presented to the jury and other competing teams the following day. The judges’ decision was unanimous as Team Impulse scored highly on technological achievement, innovative ideas, documentation throughout the competition, presentation skills and general attitude.

This victorious win is the third time St Paul’s has arrived home with a prize from the European CanSat Competition over the past five years, and the second time it has won outright, positioning it as the leading school and country in the history of the event.

Team Impulse is made up of Euan Baines, Hugo Cheema-Grubb, James Crompton, William Eustace, Alex Forey, Yuki de Pourbaix, Neel Le Penru and Igor Timofeev, all drawn from Year 12 (Lower Eighth).

More photos can be found on the CanSat Competition Facebook page.