Lunaris-X CanSat
Ballasted-to-spec CanSat (≥300 g) that delivers laboratory-grade telemetry, exceeds ESA reliability guidelines, and serves as a platform future student teams can build on—thanks to overpowered power rails, light structure, and rechargeable, eco-friendly operation.
Mass (ballasted)
≥300 g
CF-reinforced PET-G shell + custom PCB, ballasted to the 300 g ESA minimum with margin.
Avionics
ESP32 @ 240 MHz
Dual-core 32-bit MCU with Wi‑Fi/BLE and 520 kB SRAM, MicroPython firmware.
Sensing cadence
10 Hz baro / 60 Hz IMU
High-resolution pressure + 9-axis IMU for smooth altitude and attitude reconstruction.
Power budget
1 A regulated rails
2000 mAh+ Li-Po (expandable) with buck/boost; over-specced current delivery for future payloads without redesign.
Our final product
Renders while the full CanSat lands.
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Technical highlights
Subsystems vs the ESERO reference kit
Sub-system
On-board computer
Key specification
ESP32 dual-core 32-bit @ 240 MHz, 520 kB SRAM, 4 MB flash
Advantage
15× raw CPU speed, 32× RAM and built-in Wi‑Fi/BLE vs the 8-bit 16 MHz ATmega328P Arduino Uno R3 in the reference kit; enables higher-rate sensing, complex filtering and future payloads without board changes.
Sub-system
Primary-mission sensing
Key specification
Bosch BMP280 barometric/temp sensor, sampled at 10 Hz
Advantage
10× the 1 Hz telemetry rule, giving smoother pressure-derived altitude traces than baseline kit logging.
Sub-system
Attitude & motion
Key specification
9-axis IMU (accelerometer + gyro + magnetometer) sampled at ≥60 Hz
Advantage
60× the minimum 1 Hz telemetry requirement; captures fine vibrations and exports Euler angles for Blender-based 3-D trajectory reconstruction and aero analysis.
Sub-system
Power architecture
Key specification
2000 mAh+ Li-Po (expandable) + high-efficiency buck/boost regulator (1 A shared on 5 V & 3.3 V rails)
Advantage
Rechargeable design eliminates disposable 9 V blocks (cuts e-waste) and massively increases current headroom (Arduino Uno limit 50 mA on 3.3 V); supports power-hungry upgrades such as LTE/5G radios or cameras without redesign.
Sub-system
Mass & structure
Key specification
Carbon-fibre-reinforced PET-G airframe, custom PCB; ballasted to ≥300 g
Advantage
Rugged CF-PET-G shell keeps the stack light; ballast is added to hit ESA’s ≥300 g minimum and optimise CG/stability without overstressing the airframe.
Sub-system
Data integrity
Key specification
Live 433 MHz radio down-link (primary) + mirrored logging to flash & Micro-SD (backup)
Advantage
Radio link remains the primary log path; mirrored flash/SD provides recovery if the signal is interrupted or the CanSat is lost.
Sub-system
Software stack
Key specification
MicroPython on bare metal ESP-IDF
Advantage
Instant REPL debugging and no compile cycle accelerate iteration and lower barriers for future student teams.
Sub-system
Recovery & safety
Key specification
Cross-form rip-stop parachute (0.072 m²) targets 7–8 m s⁻¹; piezo beeper auto-arms after 120 min
Advantage
Meets ESA’s recommended 8–11 m s⁻¹ descent range; audible beacon simplifies field retrieval.
Why Lunaris-X is ahead 🔭
Front-runner platform for the 2025–26 ESERO CanSat competition
- Second-generation architecture – departs from the Arduino-centric starter kit, leveraging a modern 32-bit SoC, custom PCB and high-rate sensors.
- Professional-grade data quality – 60 Hz inertial logging plus high-resolution pressure sensing enable flight-dynamics analyses usually reserved for CubeSats.
- Sustainability by design – rechargeable Li-Po, reusable airframe, in-print ballast and minimal wiring reduce consumables and waste.
- Platform-ready for future CanSats – over-specced 1 A rails, spare GPIOs, native Wi‑Fi/BLE and MicroPython let new teams bolt on cameras, GNSS-RTK or cellular links without touching the hardware.
- Robust telemetry and logging – 433 MHz radio downlink as primary path, mirrored to flash/SD for data survival even if the signal drops.
Net result: a ballasted (≥300 g) CanSat platform that delivers laboratory-grade telemetry, exceeds ESA reliability guidelines, stays eco-friendly via rechargeables, and keeps payload headroom for experimental missions while mirroring radio logs to onboard storage for resilience.