Limerick students set for lift off in Europe after winning CanSat competition

A TEAM of students from Coláiste Chiaráin in Croom are set to represent Ireland in the European final of this year's CanSat competition.

CanSat is an initiative of the European Space Agency that challenges students from all over Europe to build and launch a mini satellite the size of a soft-drink can.

The students conduct a primary mission to beam and receive altitude and temperature data to a laptop on the ground. They have added their own ideas through the Secondary mission to measure the quality of the air, barometric pressure, Global Positioning System and implementing a custom parachute system to ensure a safe landing for the CanSat.

The team from Coláiste Chiaráin won the coveted national title in County Laois at the weekend and will go on to represent Ireland at the 2023 European CanSat Finals.

The competition is co-funded by the European Space Agency and Science Foundation Ireland and is coordinated by MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory.

Congratulating the winning team from Coláiste Chiaráin, Alison Boyle, ESERO Ireland Supervisor said: “They should be immensely proud of themselves. Winning the National Final of the CanSat competition is a tremendous achievement, particularly when the level of competition is as high as it was this year."

Ireland has performed admirably in European finals in recent years, with a team from Marist college Athlone winning the competition outright in 2018.

The team from Coláiste Chiaráin, which is made up of students from various academic backgrounds, has been working on the project over the past few months ahead of the national competition.

"Their dedication and hard work has paid off, as they have successfully overcome challenges and obstacles during the design and testing phases," said teacher Conor Power.