Offaly students reach national CanSat finals after regional success

GALLEN Community School, Ferbane, is celebrating the success of its Transition Year CanSat team, Canastronauts, who secured a place at the CanSat National Finals, beating stiff competition at the CanSat Regional finals held at TUS, Athlone, last month.

The team, made up of Kyle Hill, Cathal Lyons, and Jack Delaney, spent the past few months designing and building a mini satellite that fits inside a 330ml Coke can. The satellite included a controller, communications radio, and sensors to measure temperature and pressure while transmitting live data back to a ground station.

During the competition, the satellite was flown to a height of approximately 50 metres by drone, successfully sending live data back to the team. After analysing their results in the laboratory, Canastronauts delivered a highly impressive 10-minute presentation to the judging panel.

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The students spoke very eloquently and confidently, answering a wide range of challenging technical questions that could puzzle even an astrophysicist. Their knowledge, teamwork, and professionalism greatly impressed the judges and earned them a place in a highly competitive national final.

The National Finals will be held in Emo, Co. Laois at the end of April, where their satellite will be launched from a real rocket and released mid-flight, using a parachute system to slow and guide its landing safely back to the ground.

The entire Gallen Community School community is proud of Kyle, Cathal, and Jack and wishes them every success in the upcoming national finals.

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