Pune students to create CanSat, a miniature satellite

10/7/2018

PUNE: Punekar Educational Initiatives Pvt Ltd along with Suresh Naik Space Education Center, Pune, are set to drive a revolution in innovation in Space Science with a fascinating two days' premium educational event, comprising of Satellite design, its construction and launching by the school students. This will be the first ever CanSat workshop in Pune and it will be organised in Blue Ridge Public School Hinjewadi on July 14 and 15^th.

The workshop aims at simulating the environment of real space mission with an objective of providing the basic knowledge of space science, satellites, electronics and embedded systems followed by the on-hands activity by the students'-groups under the guidance of experienced trainers.

A miniature satellite, weighing 300 grams fitted into a small structure like a soft- drink Can (that's why it is called CanSat) and equipped with a parachute would be assembled by 20 student-teams selected after a written test (grade 6, 7, 8,9 & 10 std) and launched using a drone. This important and unique educational activity is being conducted in a systematic manner. A booklet giving the space program and other related information has been circulated along with the workshop brochure to the students beforehand. The hundred students who will get the opportunity to undergo this workshop will be selected after a written test prior to the workshop.

The climax of this dramatic mission would be the students watching excitedly their self-built Cansat descending gracefully by means of a parachute, and at the same time transmitting the real time data wirelessly about the environment like air temperature etc. which will be received by a receiver and recorded on a laptop on the ground. The 20 groups who would build and launch their satellites, would be presented with the respective satellites which would be owned by them.

Apart from this each of them would be given a certificate of participation and the best three groups would receive an award and a certificate. The mission is guided by the eminent space scientist Suresh Naik, Ex-Group Director ISRO and the present Chairman of International Space Society, who is well known as a 'crusader for popularising Space Science' among the students of the country since the last two decades.

Suhas Punekar, the Chairman of Educational Initiatives Pvt Ltd is planned to take this highly interesting and inspiring educational mission to thousands of school students in Pune and Maharashtra and start a revolution in the field of spreading the knowledge about the fascinating Space Science.