Technical Specifications
A detailed overview of the Lunaris-X CanSat hardware, software, and system architecture.
Mission Overview
Primary Mission
Continuous measurement of air pressure and temperature throughout the flight. Altitude is calculated using barometric pressure data and visualized after recovery.
Secondary Mission
Measurement of orientation, rotation, and stability using a 9-axis IMU, enabling reconstruction of the full 3D flight path and attitude.
Hardware Architecture
Primary Sensor
BMP388 barometric pressure and temperature sensor, selected for its high accuracy, low noise, and suitability for altitude calculations.
Inertial Measurement Unit
9-axis IMU (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) recording motion and orientation at ≥60 Hz, allowing detection of vibration and rotation.
Microcontroller
ESP32 microcontroller responsible for sensor communication, data processing, telemetry transmission, and onboard storage.
Power System
Rechargeable Li-Po battery with onboard regulation and a reserve supercapacitor to safely complete flash writes during sudden power loss.
Communication & Data Handling
Telemetry
Radio telemetry is used to transmit live flight data to the ground station during descent. Ascent data is stored locally due to launch shielding.
Data Storage
All sensor data is written to onboard flash memory as a fail-safe, ensuring full data recovery even if telemetry is interrupted.
Software & Data Analysis
Embedded Software
The ESP32 runs custom firmware to read sensors, manage power, handle telemetry, and log data in a structured format.
Post-Flight Analysis
Pressure data is converted into altitude, IMU data into Euler angles, and all measurements are visualized using graphs and a 3D animation.
3D Reconstruction
A realistic Blender animation is created using real flight data, allowing analysis of stability, rotation, and aerodynamic behavior.
Mechanical Design
Airframe
Custom-designed can-shaped airframe, 3D-printed using carbon-reinforced plastic for high impact resistance and durability.
Structural Protection
Shock-absorbing mountings protect sensitive electronics from landing impacts and launch vibrations up to 20G.
CAD & Manufacturing
The full CanSat is designed in CAD and manufactured using FDM 3D printers available at Keizer Karel College.