UK CanSat Competition | Accelerate Students

“It’s that edge we have going into university – it’s really cool to have that privilege.”

Subjects studied:
STEM, Engineering, Physics, Computer Science

What’s next:
Progression to university degrees and careers in engineering, aerospace, robotics and related STEM fields.

For students on Truro and Penwith College’s Accelerate programme, the UK CanSat Competition offers a chance to move beyond the classroom and apply their learning to a real engineering challenge.

Each team of five students is tasked with designing and building a miniature satellite – a CanSat – that is launched into the atmosphere via rocket. Once deployed, it collects data during descent, which is then analysed, graphed and presented at a national final if the team qualifies.

“It feels like the reason I come into college to do this,” Cayden explained. “You do your A Levels like everyone else, but Accelerate gives us something extra that sets us apart for university.”

For many, the opportunity to join Accelerate comes from wanting to connect their studies with future ambitions. Students describe choosing projects that align with their intended university pathways, allowing them to develop relevant technical and practical experience early on.

Working closely as a team has also been a key part of the experience. With more time built into the programme to collaborate, students are able to refine designs, troubleshoot problems and develop their ideas together.

“Being in Accelerate helps because we get more time with our teammates,” Charles said. “It means we can really focus on building the project.”

The CanSat itself combines multiple engineering disciplines, from electronics and coding through to design and modelling. Students highlighted the satisfaction of seeing their work come together as a fully integrated system.

“It looks really professional,” Charles reflected. “We’ve got a proper circuit board and everything is being securely assembled. It’s great to see something so complete that we’ve built ourselves.”

Beyond technical skills, students say the experience is helping them prepare for university-level study by developing independence, teamwork and problem-solving skills in a practical environment.

“It’s really good for university,”

“You get experience working on projects like this outside the classroom, which is really valuable.”

For those taking part, the Accelerate programme offers more than just competition experience – it builds confidence and provides insight into future careers in STEM.

“I’d definitely recommend it,”

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun and it really helps with university applications.”