Design and Implementation of an Efficient Onboard Computer System for CanSat Atmosphere Monitoring

TL;DR

This paper presents the design and implementation of an efficient, low-power onboard computer system for CanSat atmospheric monitoring, integrating multiple sensors and communication modules for environmental data collection.

Contribution

It introduces a novel onboard computer system using ESP32 microcontroller with integrated sensors for real-time atmospheric data acquisition in CanSat applications.

Findings

Successful integration of sensors with ESP32 microcontroller

Efficient data transmission to ground station

Low power consumption design

Abstract

With advancements in technology, the smaller versions of satellites have gained momentum in the space industry for earth monitoring and communication-based applications. The rise of CanSat technology has significantly impacted the space industry by providing a cost-effective solution for space exploration. CanSat is a simulation model of a real satellite and plays a crucial role in collecting and transmitting atmospheric data. This paper discusses the design of an Onboard Computer System forCanSat, used to study various environmental parameters by monitoring the concentrations of gases in the atmosphere. The Onboard Computer System uses GPS, accelerometer, altitude, temperature, pressure, gyroscope, magnetometer, UV radiation, and air quality sensors for atmospheric sensing. A highly efficient and low-power ESP32 microcontroller and a transceiver module are used to acquire data, facilitate seamless communication and transmit the collected data to the ground station.