Ferbane team claim runners-up spot at national CanSat finals

Students from Gallen Community School in Ferbane were crowned runners-up at the ESERO Ireland CanSat competition, a flagship European Space Agency initiative that challenges secondary school students to design, build and launch a working mini-satellite that fits inside a drinks can.

Team ‘CanAstronaut’, which consists of Transition Year students Jack Delaney, Kyle Hill and Cathal Lyons, competed for the national crown at the two day national finals in Emo, County Laois.

The three students were charged with launching their CanSats by rocket, capturing and transmitting real-time data on descent, and presenting their results to a panel of expert judges.

The Gallen Community School students qualified for the national finals by winning the regional final held at TUS Athlone in March.

Gallen Community School hailed the achievement of its 'CanAstronaut' team at the national finals.

The school said it was "immensely proud" of team members Kyle Hill, Jack Delaney, and Cathal Lyons, who "spent months designing and building a highly advanced mini satellite, capable of collecting and transmitting real-time data during its descent.

"The team delivered a confident and engaging ten minute presentation, where they impressed by answering challenging questions from NASA and European Space Agency scientists. Their ability to communicate complex ideas so clearly highlighted both their technical expertise and professionalism.

"Finishing as runners-up at a national level is a remarkable accomplishment and a true reflection of their hard work, innovation, and dedication. The entire school community is incredibly proud of their success.

"A huge thank you to Ms. McDermott, the team's mentor, for making this experience possible and helping create lifelong memories".

It was the first time a CanSat team from Gallen Community School has made it through to the national finals of the competition.