Student team reaches global top 10 in mini-satellite competition Mexico

29 May 2026

The KIWI Aerospace student team from our Faculty and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences has achieved an impressive international performance with their mini-satellite KSAT1. At the international CanSat finals in Mexico City, the team from Groningen finished in the global top 10.

The international finals took place on May 24 at the UNAM University (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), following the continental preliminary rounds. Twenty student teams from around the world competed against each other. Throughout the entire CanSat competition, including the European preliminary round, the Groningen team faced off against as many as 137 teams.

Mini-satellite the size of a milk carton

CanSat is an international competition in which student teams from around the world build a mini-satellite that may not be larger than a milk carton. During the competition, they must use their satellite to simulate a return from space and a landing on Earth.

After a 400-meter drop

The satellite is launched from a height of 400 meters and must land safely and intact while transmitting telemetry data such as temperature and speed. After landing, the satellite must remain fully functional. The Groningen team excelled in technical innovation, mission execution, and scientific analysis, enabling them to successfully and safely deliver their satellite, the KSAT1, to its destination.