Swiss CanSat.

Astronomy Olympiad

2026 - 2027 Pilot Edition

Swiss CanSat — 2027

Secondary school student teams (14-19 years old) from all over Switzerland are challenged to fit essential satellite parts into a container with the volume and shape of a soda can.

— Online Registration is currently open!.

00 . Criteria

Three conditions. Three students. One team.

If you and your team members meet all three criteria, then you’re in!

  1. 01

    Age

    Your Birthday?

    Must be 14-19 years old.

  2. 02

    School

    No University?

    Enrolled at vocational, middle or high school.

  3. 03

    EXPERIENCE

    Don't worry

    No past experience required :)



The process — four steps

Updated 15.06

  1. i.

    Online Registration

    By registering all team members, you will receive all important information and next steps for the first online round (proposal submission).

    Register 01.07-30.08.2026

  2. ii.

    Proposal Submissions

    The first online round consists of submitting your CanSat team's idea (max. 5 pages) and an optional 3 minutes video.

    Soon 01.09-30.09.2026

  3. iii.

    CanSat Kit Mailing

    Qualified teams will receive a base hardware kit by mail. You can also add your own components and parts to match your design ideas.

    Soon TBA

  4. iv.

    Build your own CanSat!

    Your team will get to experience all phases of a real space project during the process of building your CanSat. Embrace the challenge and most importantly have fun!

    Soon TBA

02.Organzation

The AO team behind the scenes.

Swiss CanSat is a student-led initiative
organized by members and volunteers of
the Astronomy Olympiad of Switzerland.

Jehan Alsawaf and Matias BetschenLead
Kai BerszinElectronics
More soon...


03·Questions

Are you ready?

Detailed information regarding the timeline, proposal guidelines, and official regulations will be available on our website soon. Please check back regularly for updates.

Feel free to reach out to us on our email · astronomy@olympiad.ch

How many team members can we have?

Teams must consist of exactly three students. All members must be between 14 and 19 years old and must not currently be enrolled in university or any post-secondary education. The team members do not necessarily have to come from the same school. Teams that have found each other through extracurricular activities are most welcome.

Does my team need to have a teacher/mentor to particpate?

No. At least not as a mentor. We generally ask for a teacher to serve as an in-person supervisor and primary contact. We will also be mailing kits and materials directly to your school or teacher. We advise asking your physics, astronomy, informatics, or math teacher, but any trusted teacher is suitable.

Can I particpate alone?

No. This is a team compeition.

What are the techical requirement?

There are two main missions.

The primary mission requires teams to measure temperature and air pressure and transmitting these values to the ground station. In the secondary mission, teams have the freedom to design and carry out an experiment of their own choosing (no limitations).

A document with all specifications and criteria for the first online round's proposal will be published soon.

What can we win?

The winning team can look forward to participating in the Space Engineer for a Day Event of the ESA at the ESTEC in the Netherlands!

Are there any fees or costs to pay?

No. Like all programs offered through the Science Olympiad, the CanSat program is entirely free of charge (Thanks to our wonderful sponsors)

However, if teams wish to include additional components beyond the standard kit, they must cover the costs themselves.