From 22nd to 11th: Leading a CanSat Team

In September 2024 I became team leader of EEPISAT. Previous year we placed 22nd. My goal: top 15.

What Changed

Structure

Split team into clear divisions: Hardware, Software, Science, Operations. Each had a lead who reported to me. Reduced communication overhead.

Technical Focus

• Moved from Arduino to Teensy 4.1 (10x processing power)
• Built portable GCS on Raspberry Pi instead of laptop
• Implemented PID control for paraglider steering

Partnerships

Cold-emailed 20+ companies. PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) responded. They funded our competition trip and gave us study tours at their satellite facilities.

The Competition

CanSat Competition USA is hosted by American Astronautical Society. University teams worldwide design, build, and fly a satellite that fits in a soda can.

Our 2025 mission: autonomous paragliding descent with multispectral imaging.

Result

11th place worldwide. 11 spots up from previous year.

Also got:

• Teknofest 2025 finalist (Top 15) — our first-ever entry
• Top 4 at Indonesia Aerospace Hackathon with our CanSat Kit
• Invited to present at APRSAF-30 in Perth, Australia

What I Learned

Leadership in technical teams isn't about being the best engineer. It's about:

1. Removing blockers — buy components before they're needed
2. Setting clear goals — "top 15" is measurable, "do our best" isn't
3. Trusting people — let leads make decisions
4. Saying no — we rejected 3 feature requests that would've delayed launch

The team is still going. They'll beat 11th next year.