Mecatrónica PUCP represented Peru in the aerospace launch CanSat Competition USA 2022

Takeoff, ascent and controlled flight. PUCP Mechatronics Engineering left the name of Peru on high in the CanSat Competition USA 2022 aerospace launch. Ten PUCP students and graduates of this career formed the MK Team. With great effort, they managed to be the first Peruvians in this competition organized by the American Astronautical Society and NASA.

To participate, they visited the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University of Virginia in Blacksburg (USA) from June 9 to 12. Here, young university students from all over the world experience a small-scale aerospace program. They are involved from start to finish: from preliminary design review of space artifacts to post-launch review.

PUCP Mechatronics at CanSat USA: this was the mission

With the passion that characterizes him, Kevin Ponce, a student of Mechatronics Engineering at PUCP, explains the challenge proposed by the CanSat Competition USA. They had to design an aerospace system: a mini-satellite the size of a soda can that would perform a specific flight. In the small space they had to include mechanical, electronic and programming components. All, of course, with technical specifications set by the organizers.  

"The mission was to insert the mini-satellite into a small rocket. The rocket was to reach an altitude of 750 meters to eject the satellite. From that height, it was to descend at 15 meters per second with the help of a parachute. Subsequently, the speed had to be reduced to 5 meters per second. Therefore, we deployed a second parachute. During the drop, the minisatellite was to obtain sensor data, such as temperature, pressure and location, via GPS. This information had to be stored internally and, at the same time, transmitted in real time to the monitoring point," he explains.

From the classrooms of PUCP to the skies of Virginia

In 2021, Dario Huanca, Luis Caballero and Enzo Cisneros - all students of Mectatronics Engineering - wanted to participate in projects or competitions. Their career almost always requires somewhat large teams, so they organized an open call, Darío tells us.

"Participating as a PUCP Mechatronics Engineering team in CanSat USA was a good starting point. It encompasses all the knowledge that impacts mechatronics engineering: mechanics, electronics and programming. After organizing the team, we sought the mentorship of Professor Diego Arce from the Mechatronics Engineering Section, whom we thank for giving us these opportunities. We met for months to be able to implement what we had designed," recalls Darío.

Melanie Benites relived in this interview each stage of the development. It all started with their registration in November 2021. The group was divided into four areas to advance in the most orderly way possible: mechanics, electronics, software and telemetry. They prepared the preliminary design of the satellite and made a remote presentation to a jury. They managed to place among the 48 teams that qualified for this world-renowned competition.

The final flight and take-off races

In the next stage, the MK Team completed the satellite design, tested each component and did not stop until arriving in Virginia (USA) for the June launch.

With a unique twinkle in her eye, Ms. Benites commented on the experience: "For most of us, this was our first project of this type. It was satisfying to see that the effort of so many months was recognized, as the CanSat was given the go-ahead and we launched the rocket. We were thrilled to know that we had achieved our main objective: to go all the way to the end of the competition. Launching a rocket is amazing. How fast they ascend and how fast they descend over 700 meters. It was also interesting to work together with teams from all over the world," he says.

"Witnessing the satellite launch, one of my dreams came true. I have dreamed of this moment since I was a child. I chose to study Mechatronics Engineering at PUCP because since I was a child I had the need to know how things work internally. I used to disassemble my toys", Kevin also comments. Today, he is grateful for this opportunity that he obtained thanks to the Beca18 program. Because of his good performance, he entered the High Performance School in his native Junín, where he discovered his vocation and created the robotics laboratory. With the support of his teachers, he applied to Pronabec and overcame all obstacles in his path.

"Being a new career and demanding a lot of technology, it was not taught in all universities. Its cost was high and my family could not afford it. Having a full scholarship to complete my studies at PUCP, one of the best universities in the country, allows me to fulfill my dream of becoming a mechatronics engineer. My competitive spirit also allows me to gain experiences like this and learn new ways of looking at things," says Kevin.

CanSat 2022 is just the beginning

These young people reached the final stage of CanSat 2022 and are still preparing to go even further.

"We have the conviction to participate again next year with the lessons learned to achieve a better result and thus leave the name of PUCP high. We are also considering participating in the European Rover Challenge, a competition held in Poland. Each university proposes the design of a space exploration vehicle that must fulfill certain missions. On the other hand, we are seeking the support of students from the entire Faculty of Engineering, since the more complex the project is, the more support it requires from other specialties", explains student Dario Huanca.

The team's greatest desire is to integrate different careers in the same project in order to achieve a better result in the future. Remember their names, because soon we will hear them again to celebrate together their new achievements.