Credo Christian High School - Physics 12
What is a CanSat?
A CanSat is a small electronic device contained within the dimensions of a soda can. The “Can Satellite” takes measurements of things in the atmospheres as it makes its descent to provide an understanding of the environment so that certain issues can be thought about and solved. It is also a good introduction to the principles of engineering and teaches the process of design.
Our Primary Mission
Each team has been given the same primary mission as well as a secondary mission specific to each team. The primary mission for these Cansats is to collect temperature and pressure data in the troposphere. So much of the earth’s health is determined by the health of our atmosphere. We plan to get a better sense of the conditions that are present in the troposphere by measuring temperature and air pressure with our CanSats. We have decided to go with a single sensor that can do both of these things - it is the BMP280 sensor, which we will connect to an Arduino and then log data to a micro-SD card on the way down.
Secondary Mission Neowise
Each team was given the opportunity to choose a secondary mission. The secondary mission is to measure carbon dioxide levels in the troposphere, this idea came about while brainstorming secondary missions as a class. After researching online we found there are CO2 sensors that can be obtained to take measurements. Gaseous carbon dioxide traps thermal energy in our atmosphere and contributes to climate change. We want to take measurements along the descent of our CanSat. Some questions we hope to answer include, How do CO2 levels vary with altitude? What other factors affect its concentration? Do CO2 levels shift with temperature variation over the course of a year? Questions like these require means of measuring CO2 levels in the lower atmosphere. The secondary mission is to gain a better understanding of CO2 levels in the lower atmosphere by looking for a trend in its atmospheric concentration with respect to altitude. To fulfill this goal we will be taking measurements with an infrared CO2 sensor that can measure to an accuracy of +/- 50ppm + 5% of the reading.
Secondary Mission Rogue Planet
The secondary mission is to measure relative humidity at different altitudes in the lower atmosphere. The idea came about while brainstorming secondary mission ideas as a class. We are also interested in strategies for terraforming planets like Mars. Water vapour is a substantial greenhouse gas in our atmosphere and plays a significant factor in local climate. We want to learn more about relative humidity at various altitudes in the lower atmosphere. Also, planets like Mars have water in ice form but is there any moisture that has sublimated from the surface and is in vapour form? We are aiming to design our CanSat to take accurate measurements of the vaporous water levels in the atmosphere in order to learn more about these topics. The secondary mission is to take measurements of relative humidity in the lower atmosphere. Earth has high levels of atmospheric water; our aim is to learn more about how this impacts our local climate. Another learning opportunity is to think about how we can accurately measure water levels on other potentially habitable planets. We are going to measure relative humidity in the lower atmosphere using a humidity sensor that is accurate to +/- 5%.