School pupils launch mini satellites in CanSat Competition
Twelve school teams from across the Netherlands prepared for a special launch. On Friday 20 March they watched their CanSat take to the air: a ‘satellite mission’ the size of a soft drink can, which they designed and built themselves. The launch day marked the highlight of the ESERO CanSat Competition, organised by the Netherlands Space Agency.
In the CanSat Competition, pupils get to know the world of science and technology and the broad field of space. ‘The greatest strength of CanSat is that it is real,’ says Wendy van den Putte of the Netherlands Space Agency. ‘We bring theoretical knowledge from school textbooks to life in practice. This helps pupils discover where their talents lie, which can also support them in choosing a future career.’
This year, the CanSat Competition once again attracted strong interest. In September 2025, more than 140 pupils from havo and vwo schools registered in 29 different teams. Each team came up with, developed, built and tested its own CanSat with a unique mission. Just like in real space projects, they wrote progress reports to document their work.
In February, the teams visited a test day at TU Delft. Supported by the student association Delft Aerospace Rocket Engineering (DARE), they were able to further refine the design of their CanSat. An expert jury then selected the twelve best and most promising missions. These were launched to an altitude of one kilometre using two amateur rockets built by DARE.
Precision landing
Dobril Milchev is one of the participants. He is sixteen years old and a fifth-year vwo pupil at Kaj Munk College in Hoofddorp. Together with his team Dutchman Dynamics, he built a drone satellite that had to land within three metres of a predetermined landing site. For months, his team worked on the technology and software required to carry out such a mission.
‘‘CanSat is much more professional than other school projects we have taken part in,’ says Milchev. ‘We learned about robotics, programming, sensors, electronics and finance, and we also had to work on communication.’
– Dobril Milchev, participantCanSat
‘CanSat is much more professional than other school projects we have taken part in,’ says Milchev. ‘We learned about robotics, programming, sensors, electronics and finance, and we also had to work on communication. That is why we created our own website and presented our mission during the school’s open day.’ Milchev himself is particularly interested in computer engineering. ‘During the CanSat Competition I discovered that you can also work on this in space.’
A mission lasting months
Physics teacher René van Helden from KSG De Breul in Zeist is also enthusiastic. His school entered the competition with two teams. Out of Orbit dropped out in the final selection round, while Space Evaders took part in the launch day. Both teams spent months working on their small satellite mission on Thursday afternoons after school.
Our participation in this competition pays off in the classroom,’ Van Helden notes. ‘I see that pupils from the CanSat teams are more motivated in class. That has a positive effect on other pupils, on me as a teacher, on our instructors, and on the overall atmosphere around the subject of physics.’
According to Van Helden, pupils quickly see through projects that are mainly promotional and lack depth. ‘The CanSat Competition is a serious project that demands a lot from pupils. They must write a proposal to be admitted. After that, the work continues at a high level, with strong support and good materials.’
Team Space Evaders planned to deploy the parachute of its CanSat only after a free fall of around five hundred metres. This made accurate altitude measurements and a smart release mechanism crucial. To build their CanSat, the team contacted technology companies in the region. The research organisation TNO in Zeist, among others, lent a helping hand and was also listed as a sponsor on the team jerseys.
More than a project
Above-average motivation and enthusiasm for science and technology. That is what the CanSat Competition is all about, says Marjan van Meerloo, senior policy officer at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. In the previous edition, Van Meerloo served as a member of the jury. At the time, she pressed the button that launched the CanSats.
‘I could feel the tension. During that single launch day, everything has to come together: technology, innovation, creativity and perseverance. CanSat is much more than a project or a final school assignment. It is a unique experience you will never forget.’
After the launch day, the participating teams write a final report. Based on these reports, an expert jury will select the winner of the CanSat Competition 2026. The winner will be announced during the CanSat final day at Space Expo in Noordwijk.
