Drone release
An organizer-operated drone carries the stowed CanSat to the release point.
CanSat Comeback Challenge
Release. Land. Return.
An autonomous recovery mission: a CanSat is released by an organizer-operated drone, descends under its recovery system, deploys after landing and travels over the ground toward a designated target.
Mission
From drone release to ground return
Teams integrate descent recovery, landing detection, post-landing deployment and terrestrial navigation in one compact system.
Mission sequence
Five stages, one system
Release height, field geometry, timing and scoring will be specified in the official rulebook and Edition Annex.
Full-size map
Descent
The recovery system stabilizes the descent and limits landing impact.
Landing and deployment
The CanSat detects touchdown and transitions to its ground-travel configuration.
Autonomous return
The vehicle navigates from the landing point toward the designated target.
Final position
The vehicle's final position relative to the target is recorded for scoring.
Mobility options
Choose the architecture that fits the mission
Teams may balance mass, deployment reliability, stability and terrain handling using different ground-mobility designs.
Two-wheel systems
Compact and lightweight, but more sensitive to balance and touchdown orientation.
Multi-wheel or tracked systems
More stable and terrain-capable, with added mass and mechanical complexity.
Other ground-mobility systems
Alternative designs may be accepted if they satisfy the final size, mass, safety and field requirements.
Official rules in preparation
The rulebook and Edition Annex will define size and mass limits, the release-system interface, field conditions, safety checks, scoring and registration.