On May 24 and 25, the island of Santa Maria hosted the exciting second edition of CanSat Junior Azores, an event that brings together young people with brilliant minds around space exploration and science. Organized by the Government of the Azores, the event attracted participants from various schools in the Azores, all with the aim of launching and operating mini-satellites built by themselves
CanSat Junior is an educational competition that challenges students to design, build and launch small satellites the size of a soda can. These mini-satellites are equipped with sensors to collect data during flight and landing, simulating “real” space missions. The competition provides a practical and inspiring experience, encouraging interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
During the two-day event, the young participants had the opportunity to present their projects, launch the satellites and analyze the data received. The competition was intense, but marked by a spirit of cooperation and mutual learning. The teams showed great creativity and technical skill, reflecting the high level of preparation and dedication.
In addition to the main activities, the event featured various lectures and workshops given by professionals in the space field, providing a broader view of the opportunities and challenges in the sector.
EMA – Space would like to thank all the participants, mentors, volunteers and sponsors who made this event possible. We look forward to the next edition and to continuing to inspire the next generation of space explorers!
Find out all about the second edition of CanSat Junior Azores
HIGHLIGHTS:
Photos day 1 (Credits-Vânia Andrade)
Photos day 2 (Credits-Vânia Andrade)
Videos day 1 and 2 (Crédits-Pepe Brix)
Summary video (Credits-Pepe Brix)
The 11th edition of CanSat Portugal, an educational project run by the European Space Agency (ESA) and organized in Portugal by ESERO and Ciência Viva, took place on the island of Santa Maria from May 1 to 5. This was the return of this competition for secondary school students to the Azores, reaffirming the region and the island in particular as a place of excellence for this type of event. This edition had the support of the Government of the Azores and other entities that definitely contributed to the success of the organization. Watch the video summary of the 5 days of competition. Congratulations to the winners of the various prizes and to all the participants!
1st place and big winner – HermeSat, Salesianos de Lisboa
Ground station award and ANACOM award – AzSat, Antero de Quental Secondary School, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island (Azores);
Award for best technical performance and internship at CEiiA – CarMic, Escola Básica e Secundária Carolina Michaëlis, Porto;
Professionalism Award – MigraSat, Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves Secondary School, Vila Nova de Gaia;
Best scientific mission award – Valkyria Team, Adolfo Portela Secondary School, Águeda;
Best dissemination award – RáSat, Colégio do Sagrado Coração de Maria, Lisbon;
Honorable Mention – CanHelp, Salesianos de Lisboa.
Highlights:
The regional celebrations of Europe Day took place on the 9th on the island of Santa Maria, a joint initiative between the Vice-Presidency of the Government of the Azores, through the Azores Regional Directorate for European Affairs and External Cooperation, the Azores Mission Structure for Space (EMA-Espaço), the Municipality of Vila do Porto and the EUROPE DIRECT Azores center. This year, the theme associated with this celebration was Space. The event’s program included the opening conference entitled “Europe and Space: the role of the Azores and Portugal in the European space program”, held yesterday, May 8, and continued today with the solemn session commemorating Europe Day, followed by a day full of recreational and educational activities for the youngest, with “space” as the theme.
Highlights:
Publication Governo dos Açores
Publication Europe Direct Açores
Photo Credits Câmara Municipal de Vila do Porto
As part of the Europe Day celebrations, celebrated yesterday on the island of Santa Maria and dedicated, this year, to the theme of Space, we are launching the “Space Patch” Competition aimed at primary and secondary school students in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, as well as the corresponding levels of professional education, aged between 12 and 18, completed by June 30, 2024.
This initiative aims to motivate young Azoreans of school age, particularly those with a special interest and desire for the arts, or with a creative and innovative spirit. At the same time, it aims to raise awareness among young people and student communities in basic, secondary and professional education, as well as promoting a greater approximation of future generations to European issues and the space sector, through digital media, are objectives that are intended to be achieved, in favor of greater participation of young people in issues of European citizenship and regional, national and European space projects, stimulating creativity in students and the use of audiovisual and communication media. The winner will receive a laptop ofered by ANACOM – National Space Authority.
The competition runs until June 30, 2024 by registering on a specific form and sending proposals to [email protected], in accordance with the attached regulations.
On February 3rd, sixteen teachers participated in the CanSat Junior Azores Workshop, which marks the start of the second edition of this project in the Region. The training took place at the facilities of OASA – Santana Astronomical Observatory, and was carried out by ESERO-Portugal/Ciência Viva, with the collaboration of the Azores Mission Structure for Space (EMA-Espaço), within the scope of a partnership between that institution and the Government of the Azores, through the Office of the Regional Undersecretary of the Presidency. CanSat Júnior Açores is one of the actions included in the Azores Strategy for Space – Dissemination, Education and Scientific Culture for Space Axis. Aimed at students in the 3rd cycle of general education, CanSat Junior consists of the simulation of a “real” space project: construction, programming and launch of a microsatellite equipped with data processing subsystems, sensors, power supply and communications system, conceptually identical to that of a real satellite. During the launch and descent controlled by a parachute, the small satellite the size of a soda can communicates with a base station, also built and operated by the students.
The objective is to provide our young people with participation in a collaborative, disruptive and transformative project, where space sciences and technologies are linked to the general education curriculum, providing an enriching experience and true teamwork, also motivating our young people for academic paths in the field of STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) with a direct or indirect connection to the aerospace sector.
Created in Portugal by the national delegation of ESERO, this second regional edition of CanSat Junior involves around 100 participants, in a total of 15 teams from 8 islands in the archipelago.
Entre os dias 10 e 14 de Julho de 2023, a ilha de Santa Maria recebeu a Hackathon de Professores do Espaço 2023: O regresso à Lua. Esta formação acreditada permitiu a 20 docentes de 7 ilhas dos Açores participar em atividades formativas no formato de hackathon, para além de atividades em unidades do ecossistema espacial da ilha. Neste workshop foram trabalhadas estratégias de TRM (Team Resource Management) como competência transversal a todas as áreas científicas e de engenharia, incluindo as afetas ao setor do Espaço, conferindo aos docentes competências adicionais como recursos de trabalho nas suas atividades letivas e projetos.
O fascinante tema da Lua, amplamente motivado pelo lançamento, este ano, da missão ARTEMIS I que pretende voltar a colocar novamente seres humanos no nosso satélite natural, foi o mote para uma intensa semana de trabalho. Foram abordados temas como medicina espacial, geologia lunar, robótica, formação do sistema solar, mecânica orbital, etc.
A iniciativa foi promovida pelo ESERO Portugal/Ciência Viva, em parceria com o Governo dos Açores, o Expolab, a NAV e a Agência Espacial Portuguesa.
Between the 10th and 14th of July 2023, the island of Santa Maria hosted the Space Teachers Hackathon 2023: Return to the Moon. This accredited training allowed 20 teachers from 7 islands in the Azores to participate in training activities in the hackathon format , in addition to activities in units of the island’s space ecosystem. In this workshop, TRM (Team Resource Management) strategies were worked on as a transversal competence for all scientific and engineering areas, including those related to the Space sector, providing teachers with additional skills as work resources in their teaching activities and projects.
The fascinating theme of the Moon, largely motivated by the launch, this year, of the ARTEMIS I mission which aims to place human beings on our natural satellite once again, was the motto for an intense week of work. Topics such as space medicine, lunar geology, robotics, formation of the solar system, orbital mechanics, etc. were covered.
The initiative was promoted by ESERO Portugal/Ciência Viva, in partnership with the Government of the Azores, Expolab, NAV and the Portuguese Space Agency.
The SPACE FOR OUR PLANET exhibition is open to the public until November 2nd, at Praça Gonçalo Velho Cabral – Ponta Delgada. The exhibition looks at the role that Space plays in the United Nations Agenda for 2030. The objective is to raise awareness of how Space provides innovative solutions and contributes to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Created in 2021, the exhibition, made up of 40 panels, has been on display in some of the main world capitals such as New York, Brussels or Paris, and associated with major strategic events, such as Expo Dubai, showing real testimonies from academics, fishermen, astronauts , students, teachers or scientists, among others, including the testimony of four Portuguese people. Each of the testimonials is presented by the portrait of one of the “actors of change” who uses or benefits from technology or space applications that allow us to build an increasingly sustainable future.
The exhibition is the result of a partnership between the Office of the Regional Undersecretary of the Presidency, through EMA-Espaço, the POnta Delgada City Council, and the Portuguese Space Agency – Portugal Space.
Photo credits: João Freitas (GRA)
This competition is aimed at the basic education students (middle school) from all schools in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, with the main objective of providing young participants with contact with basic but very practical science and engineering applications in a “real” project. absolutely exciting and impactful in the development of scientific, technical, communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
WHAT IS A CANSAT?
A CanSat (“Can” = can + “Sat” = Satellite) is an educational project created in Portugal by ESERO and Ciência Viva, aimed at students in the 3rd basic cycle. It is a simplified version of the European Space Agency (ESA) CanSat project, and consists of building a functional model of a microsatellite capable of measuring atmospheric parameters and sending telemetry to a base station. The CanSat is launched from a certain altitude and during the descent, controlled by a parachute built by the students, it transmits data on temperature, air pressure and altitude, to the base station made up of an antenna, also built by the students, connected to a receiving device and a computer.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Teams of students (minimum of 3 and maximum of 6 members) guided by a teacher. In this 2nd edition, a team that has already participated must include at least one student who has never participated in the CanSat Junior project. A school can register more than one team.
SELECTED TEAMS
>> Corvinos – EBS Mouzinho da Silveira (Corvo)
>> Team GoForIt – EBS das Flores (Flores)
>> Eagles – EBS das Lajes (Pico)
>> Astro(Wo)men – EBS da Madalena (Pico)
>> Cosmos do Topo – EBI da Vila do Topo (São Jorge)
>> VelasSpaceSat – EBS de Velas (São Jorge)
>> PaxiGrace – EBS dda Graciosa (Graciosa)
>> Starlight – Colégio do Castanheiro (São Miguel)
>> Vaquinhas Voadoras – EBI de Ginetes (São Miguel)
>> Peixinhos Espaciais – EBI de Rabo de Peixe (São Miguel)
>> RobotMinds – ES da Ribeira Grande (São Miguel)
>> Astrojovens – ES de Lagoa (São Miguel)
>> SpaceNerds – ES Domingos Rebelo (São Miguel)
>> Buteospace – EBS Bento Rodrigues (Santa Maria)
IMPORTANT DATES
>> Until November 30, 2023 – Registration and submission of videos. CONCLUDED
>> December 4th to 8th, 2023 – Team selection. CONCLUDED
>> December 11, 2023 – Communication of the selection results to the supervising teachers. CONCLUDED
>> February 3rd, 2024 – Teacher training workshop, on São Miguel Island. CONCLUDED
>> May 24th and 25th, 2024 – Final of the CanSat Junior Azores competition, on Santa Maria Island. CONCLUDED
2ª EDITION IN NUMBERS
>> 7 Islands present
>> 14 Teams
>> 94 Students (41 Girls and 39 Boys)
>> 14 Teachers
PARTNER ENTITIES
ORDER OF LAUNCHES AND PRESENTATIONS
REVIEW THE 1ST EDITION OF CANSAT JUNIOR AÇORES
HIGHLIGHTS:
Photos day 1 (Credits Vânia Andrade)
Photos day 2 (Credits Vânia Andrade)
Videos day 1 and 2 (Credits Pepe Brix)
Video summary (Credits Pepe Brix)
The office of the Regional Undersecretary of the Presidency, through the Azores Mission Structure for Space, held a public session to launch World Space Week 2023, in the Ponta Delgada Public Library Auditorium, on October 4th, at 10:00 am, which was attended by Cláudio Gomes, Physicist and National Coordinator of World Space Week, and Earth Observation specialist Mariana Ávila, from the AIR Centre.
World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to improving the human condition.
The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week will be held every year from October 4th (the day marking the launch of the first man-made satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957) to October 10th. (date of signing of the Outer Space Treaty, in 1967).
The event, open to the public, aimed to disseminate and promote scientific culture dedicated to young people of school age, as a way of disseminating the importance of space exploration and the use of space technologies for the benefit of humanity.
This year, World Space Week pays particular attention to the entrepreneurship component in the space sector.