Bidovce, March 24, 2026 – Secondary school students tested self-built satellites ahead of the national final of the second edition of the CanSat competition under the auspices of the European Space Agency (ESA). Rockets with hybrid propulsion carried them to an altitude of approximately 1 km, from where the scientific modules safely returned to the ground. The atmosphere of the event was this year complemented by the “Build Your Own Rocket” competition and its unique challenge for students titled: Mission 100 Launches.
Future engineers in action
Four teams from eastern Slovakia advanced to the CanSat semi-final. Their task was to fit a power supply, sensors, and a communication system into the size of a beverage can. In addition to the mandatory mission (measuring temperature and pressure), students worked on secondary objectives such as navigation systems, custom accelerometers, and atmospheric analysis.
“Supporting innovative projects is an investment in the future of our region. The CanSat competition is unique in that it not only opens doors to the world of technology for students but also teaches them creative thinking and the integration of IT with aerospace engineering. This kind of practice and teamwork shapes a new generation of much-needed professionals,” explains Ľubor Žatko, CEO of Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia.
“The CanSat competition is a key activity in building space capacities in Slovakia. It motivates high school students to take an interest in STEM fields and space technologies, which have enormous potential for our economy. While designing a satellite, students develop not only technical skills but also teamwork and project management. The best teams can further develop their ideas in our incubation program Spaceport_SK,” said Kristián Ondáč from the industrial component of the Slovak Space Office SARIO.
Build Your Own Rocket: Mission 100 Launches!
A new addition to this year’s event was the accompanying competition for students titled “Build Your Own Rocket.” Under the slogan “Help us accomplish the mission of 100 launches,” students had the opportunity to become rocket engineers for a day and build their own rocket. The organizers prepared a workshop where participants assembled rocket models by hand under the supervision of instructors. Subsequently, up to 100 models were launched into the sky to the applause of spectators, successfully achieving the ambitious mission goal.
Space sector as a perspective for regional development
“The Technical University of Košice also sees space as an opportunity for the younger generation and companies. The CanSat competition is among the prestigious educational projects of the European Space Agency, aimed at supporting students’ interest in science, technology, and engineering, while connecting individual talent, secondary schools, universities, and industry partners. We are therefore pleased to welcome talented students to study aerospace engineering at our Faculty of Aeronautics and to participate in the activities of the Rocket Club of the Faculty of Aeronautics TUKE,” stated Miroslav Kelemen, Vice-Rector for Education at TUKE.
“The involvement of secondary and university students is seen as a key element in supporting young talent needed in the space sector. We consider it a very important and перспективе activity that will help develop this field in our region in the future. The Eastern Slovak Space Cluster, together with other partners, will continue to support these activities and we are open to further cooperation to develop the space sector,” said Marek Košuda, Chairman of the Eastern Slovak Space Cluster.
What are the teams from the east researching?
In this year’s CanSat semi-final, the main task was to build satellites the size of a can which, after being launched to an altitude of 1 km, performed a scientific experiment, landed safely, and enabled analysis of the collected data.
- Team ESPEŠKARI (SPŠE Komenského, Košice) focuses on air quality monitoring and unique 3D flight visualization.
- Team SteinX (Gymnázium sv. Edity Steinovej, Košice) is developing its own accelerometer from piezoelectric sensors to measure vibrations.
- Team Warhol’s (SPŠE Prešov) focuses on comprehensive simulation of space flight with an emphasis on data safety and diagnostics.
- Team Altera (SPŠT Spišská Nová Ves) focuses on advanced 3D flight analysis and atmospheric physics in its mission.
Congratulations to the winners and advancing teams
We congratulate the winners and the three teams advancing to the national final of the CanSat competition at the airport in Malé Bielice (Partizánske):
1st place – Team Warhol’s (SPŠE Prešov)
2nd place – Team Altera (SPŠT Spišská Nová Ves)
3rd place – Team ESPEŠKARI (SPŠE Komenského, Košice)
Organizers and partners
Slovak Space Office SARIO in cooperation with the Faculty of Aeronautics TUKE, Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia, the Rocket Club of the Faculty of Aeronautics TUKE, with the support of the Slovak Model Association and Global Logic.
