The following is an extract from the official ESERO guidelines for the CanSat 2016 competition:
"ESA wishes to foster and support a broad range of CanSat activities across its Member States, in order to give European high school students their first experience of a real space-related project. ESA has organised five previous European CanSat Competitions in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
The UK branch of the European Space Education Resources Office (ESERO-UK) organises the UK CanSat Competition. The winner of the UK competition may go on to compete in the European CanSat Competition.
A CanSat is a simulation of a real satellite, integrated within the volume and shape of a soft drink can. The challenge for the students is to fit all the major subsystems found in a satellite, such as power, sensors and a communication system, into this minimal volume. The CanSat is then launched to an altitude of a few hundred metres by a rocket or dropped from a platform or captive balloon and its mission begins: to carry out a scientific experiment and achieve a safe landing.
CanSats offer a unique opportunity for students to have a first practical experience of a real space project. They are responsible for all aspects: selecting the mission objectives, designing the CanSat, integrating the components, testing, preparing for launch and then analysing the data."