Development of a CanSat

Welcome to this instructable on the development of a CanSat! A CanSat is a type of small satellite that is designed to fit inside a standard soda can. This time, however, we've designed this CanSat on the model of a 2U CubeSat. These miniaturized satellites are used for a variety of purposes, including educational, scientific, and commercial applications. In this instructable, we will guide you through the process of designing and building your own CanSat. We will cover the different components that make up a CanSat, as well as the steps involved in assembling and testing your CanSat. Whether you are a student, a teacher, or an amateur satellite enthusiast, this instructable will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully develop your own CanSat. Let's get started!

• Esp32 Wroom or similar clone
• ESP32-CAM
• MPU 6050 - Gyro Sensor
• Temperature and Pressure sensor - I used the DHT11
• UV sensor
• NEO-6M GPS Module
• LoRa Module
• ADXL345 3-Axis Digital Gravity Sensor
• TCRT5000L Reflective Optical Sensor
• MP-135 MP503 Air Quality Sensor Module
• Water Molecule Sensor Module
• SW-420 NC Type Vibration Sensor Module 
• Sound Sensor Module
• Charging Module
• BUK Module
• 3 - Lithium Ion Battery - 3.7V 2000mAh
• Header pins
• Measuring Tape for 4-Axis Antenna
• Power adapter

To carry out the primary mission during descent, the CanSat has to measure barometric air pressure and temperature. The relevant sensors must be connected to an ESP-32 board. The ESP-32 board processes the sensor signals. The data ESP-32 board produces is sent by radio signals to a ground station. ESP-32 boards are able to read inputs from a sensor and turn them into an output. You can instruct your board on what to do by sending a set of instructions to the microcontroller on the board. To get started with ESP-32, follow the next steps.

The ESP32 chip comes with 48 pins with multiple functions. Not all pins are exposed in all ESP32 development boards, and some pins cannot be used. The figure below illustrates the ESP-WROOM-32 pinout. You can use it as a reference if you’re using an ESP32 bare chip to build a custom board:

To know more about ESP-WROOM-32 pinouts, you can go through this article.

By following these guidelines, you can assemble the prototyping shield. This shield keeps the main components together.

Note: The assembly requires basic soldering skills. However, you are working with quite delicate electronics. If you do not have much experience with soldering microelectronics, you should practice first before you start soldering the CanSat components to the prototyping shield. Consult these suggested tutorials to familiarise yourself with soldering if needed: 

You can watch this short but very informative soldering tutorial here.