16.06.2026
We are pleased to announce the launch of the national Swiss CanSat competition, an initiative of the Swiss Astronomy Olympiad and ESA. The competition invites students aged 14 to 19 who are enrolled in a Swiss secondary school or vocational training to build real mini-satellites in teams of 3 members. The mandatory primary mission involves measuring air temperature and pressure. However, teams can develop their own creative secondary mission, such as atmospheric research or an innovative sensor system. The CanSat is later launched to an altitude of about 1-2 km, after which it free-falls with a parachute back to Earth while collecting and transmitting data.
The competition will take place during the 2026–2027 school year:
End of August 2026: Registration deadline
The registration period for student teams runs until the end of August 2026 under the following link:
The qualified teams will receive a specialized CanSat hardware kit and be assigned a technical advisor for guidance and support.
We would be delighted if you could share this opportunity with your students, especially young people passionate about engineering, space exploration, physics, and programming. This is a unique chance to turn classroom knowledge into a real satellite mission!
Please feel free to contact the Astronomy Olympiad if you have any further questions.
