CanSat Project: How Year 9 Students Learn Engineering Through Space Missions

A Year of Engineering, Testing and Teamwork

This year, 12 Year 9 teams took part in the project: Lumenix, Nova Galeon, COSMO, StellarBond, Aetheris, MosesLink, Solaris, Stratos, Constinatura, Unity, CalvaPle and Cryovex.

Each team followed its own design process, transforming ideas into working prototypes. Behind every CanSat were months of coding, sensor calibration, structural design and testing. Students learned that engineering is not a straight path, but a process of reviewing mistakes, improving systems and adapting under pressure.

This long-term project helped students develop technical skills, but also maturity, perseverance and collaboration.

The Six Teams Selected for the Competition

After months of preparation, six teams qualified for the final competition: Nova Galeon, COSMO, StellarBond, Aetheris, Solaris and Lumenix.

Five teams launched their CanSats by plane, while Lumenix earned the opportunity to launch theirs by rocket. For the students, this moment represented the result of sustained effort, organisation and teamwork.

Why This Matters in the IB Middle Years Programme

The CanSat Project, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), reflects several core elements of the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP): inquiry, interdisciplinary learning, collaboration and student agency. Students were not simply following instructions; they were making decisions, testing hypotheses and solving real problems.

Flight Data and Scientific Exploration

The launch day brought together excitement, concentration and scientific discovery. The CanSats reached an approximate altitude of 800 metres, collecting data during ascent and descent.

Real-time data transmission was one of the most important developments this year. Students worked with their own ground stations, receiving and interpreting information live during the mission.

Scientific Missions Inspired by Space Exploration

One of the strongest aspects of this year’s CanSat Project was the ambition of the scientific missions. Students connected aerospace engineering with biology, sustainability and future space exploration.

Spirulina and Future Space Missions

The Nova Galeon team studied spirulina, a photosynthetic microorganism with potential applications in future space missions. Their investigation explored how flight conditions such as pressure and acceleration could affect its behaviour.

Seeds and Space Agriculture

The StellarBond team focused on seeds and their response to launch and descent conditions. Their project opened questions linked to space agriculture and how plants might grow in challenging environments beyond Earth.

Yeast and Biological Research

The Lumenix team investigated yeast fermentation by comparing a sample kept on Earth with another placed inside the CanSat. By observing carbon dioxide production, students explored whether flight conditions affected biological activity.

How the CanSat Project Has Evolved

This year’s edition introduced a more advanced technological dimension. Students worked with LilyGO and ESP32 boards, more sophisticated sensors and, for the first time in Year 9, PCB technology.

PCB design helped students understand how electronic systems can become more reliable, organised and professional. They also used mechanical design and 3D printing to adapt structures quickly as problems appeared.

This evolution turned the project into more than a technical challenge. It became a genuine scientific investigation where data, evidence and conclusions played a central role.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The CanSat Project shows how learning can extend far beyond the classroom. Students combined science, technology, mathematics and design while developing confidence, curiosity and critical thinking.

At St PETER’S SCHOOL, experiences like this help students understand that the future is not something distant. It is something they are already learning to shape.