CanSat 2016 – TOAST
TOAST (Tin-can Orbiting Apparatus Team) was SDSL’s submission to the 2016 AIAA CanSat Competition. This was the first year an egg did not have to be protected in the CanSat. The main design challenge was to make a glider which had to fly to the ground in a circular pattern while taking a photo. This was a large departure from the typical CanSat rules which resulted in a lot of new design work. Our members developed many prototype gliders ranging from traditional gliders to Rogallo-wing based gliders. The final design was a dual-deployable Rogallo-wing glider. SDSL also developed its first custom printed circuit board. This was SDSL’s best showing in CanSat since SparkySat of 2014.
The first SDSL-1 (the mule) purple rocket was retired this year to make way for SDSL-2 in shining white. SDSL-2 is our second CanSat test rocket. SDSL-1 had 8 launches with 6 successes. SDSL-2 has been in service since April 2016 and has had a perfect launch record so far.
Look at the gallery below for pictures of the competition day, CanSat development, and test launches.
TOAST Team Members
- Jaime Sanchez de la Vega
- Raymond Barakat
- Jesus Acosta
- Anthony McCourt
- Brad Cooley
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- Jaime holding the final TOAST CanSat on launch day.
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- TOAST members making some last minute changes.
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- Brad coding like the wind.
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- TOAST members taking a break to watch the other launches.
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- Jesus and Anthony preparing the rocket for launch.
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- Jaime and Shota performing the final integration.
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- Jaime, Jesus, and Shota looking slick as they walk back.
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- Jaime taking a break after competition.
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- Shota and Anthony excited to hear the results!
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- Jaime showing off some sick skillz after competition.
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- First circuit board revision under microscope.
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- First PCB revision coming out of the oven.
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- One laptop isn’t enough for Brad’s coding prowess.
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- Jaime placing components on the circuit board before baking.
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- TOAST CanSat assembly under 150 grams!
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- Long live the cannon-spider
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- Steven trying to conquer the elusive cannon-spider.
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- Prototype flight successful! Also, stuck in a tree.
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- The identity of the parachute ninja still remains a mystery to this day.
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- Sarah, Jaime, and Anthony performing some complicated knot tying.
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- Brad nonchalantly performing on radio tests on a test launch day.
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- Good old SDSL-1 ready for its final launch.
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- Anthony preparing for a deployment test.
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- SDSL-1 ready for its last launch after being repaired.
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- Jaime, Anthony, Sarah, and Zach getting ready before launch.
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- Anthony repairing SDSL-1 and building SDSL-2
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- Rip-stop nylon can be used as a fashionable scarf.
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- Sarah and Jaime working at the warehouse
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- Shota proudly holding the dual-deploy prototype.
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- Jaime and Zach look up at a launch in Tucson.
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- SDSL-1 ready for launch with SARA at the Tucson site
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- SARA launch in Tucson
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- Ask any of the TOAST vets for a beautiful story of hope, excitement, and betrayal. Rest in Cesaroni.
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- Alejandro and Jaime working at getting deployment just right.
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- Brad coding at the November launch near Eagle Eye
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- Last minute assembly at launch site. November ready guys.
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- Don and Brad recovering SDSL-1