DeSoto CanSat Team (SPAIN)

2nd European Cansat Competition: Retamar again.

2011-12-15T20:44:00.000+01:00

Retamar School will be representing Spain in the 2nd European CanSat Competition summoned by the ESA. Like in the First European Competition (2010), a team composed mainly of students from this school, and their tutor, José Francisco Romero, will be in the final stage, being hold again in Andoya (Norway), this time in April. The name of this team, (following our classical names tradition) is DeLaCosa CanSat Team.

You can find information about their project and the Competition in the following links:
On facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/268764906501255/
On blogger: http://retamarcansat2.blogspot.com/

The selected teams for the competition are found in ESA's webpage:
http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Education/SEMP9AHURTG_0.html

2nd European CanSat Competition has been summoned.

2011-06-26T13:16:00.003+02:00

The 2nd European CanSat Competition has been summoned. The organisers are, as in the First one, the European Space Agency and the NAROM (Norwegian Centre for Space Related Education). The guidelines are specified in the link, and as you will notice, the DeSoto CanSat, participant in the First Edition, is the reference in the new competition.

The competiton requires the teams to design, build, test and launch their CanSats, "satellite simulations in a soda can". Based on our experience in the First Edition of this competition I recommend you to take part in this awesome experience; even more considering the launch of the CanSats takes place in Andoy (Norway), beyond the Arctic Circle.

The deadline for proposals is 16th October 2011 and the launch from 22nd to 26th April 2012.

http://cansat.eu/news-corner/7-about-news/65-newscall12.html

New part of our galaxy discovered.

2011-06-14T22:29:00.002+02:00

A large new spiral arm of the Milky Way peppered with dense concentrations of molecular gas has been discovered by two Harvard astronmers. This new part is labeled in the photo above. The grey zones have not been detected yet, but are supposed to exist.

New kind of supernovas discovered.

2011-06-11T16:20:00.000+02:00

Blue, brilliant and bizarre. That’s how astronomers describe six supernovas that form a brand new class. Like other supernovas, these oddballs are stellar explosions that produce spectacular light shows as their glowing debris roils the gas around them. But unlike known supernovas, these newly discovered objects emit much of their light at ultraviolet wavelengths and bear no trace of hydrogen, an element in abundance in most other stellar blasts.

The very existence of these explosions defies ready explanation, says astronomer Robert Quimby of Caltech. He and his colleagues describe the findings June 8 online in Nature.

The new class consists of four supernovas the team recently discovered and two others that have baffled astronomers in the few years since they were found. None of the six are extremely remote, but members of this new class are so bright that they should be visible from more than 12 billion light-years away and may serve as new probes of distant galaxies that would otherwise be too faint to be observed.

In contrast to all other known supernovas, the luminosity of this group of six can’t be explained by any of three standard mechanisms: the radioactive decay of newly forged elements expelled in the explosions, the collision of debris from the explosion with the surrounding hydrogen-rich gas, or the heat deposited by a shock wave traveling through a star just prior to its explosion.

Richard McCray of the University of Colorado at Boulder says he is convinced that Quimby’s team has identified a new class that is unlike any other extremely luminous supernova (SN: 7/18/09, p. 9).

Quimby and his collaborators have two ideas for how these luminous explosions may have formed. In one scenario, the core of the exploding star immediately forms a rapidly rotating, highly magnetized cinder called a magnetar. The strong magnetic field forces the cinder to slow down, converting the rotational energy into a power source that boosts the brightness of the supernova.

The second possible explanation is that just years before one of these stars explodes, it expels a huge bubble of hydrogen-poor material. When the explosion erupts, the expanding debris rams into the previously cast-off material, boosting the brightness.

Stars with helium envelopes that long ago ejected their outer shell of hydrogen are already known, says McCray. If such a star ejected its helium envelope before exploding, “that would do the trick” to explain the brightness, he notes.

Ultraviolet observations could identify a host of elements in the explosions and might indicate which of the two proposals is correct, Quimby says. The detection of a large amount of unburned carbon and oxygen, for example, would favor the model in which debris from the explosion had run into a bubble of previously ejected, unburned material.

With large sky surveys — such as the Palomar Transient Factory that Quimby’s team used — finding thousands of supernovas, it’s no surprise that astronomers have discovered some brilliant oddballs, notes theorist Stan Woosley of the University of California, Santa Cruz.

http://www.sciencenews.org

HAARP: can an antenna cause huge quakes?

2011-06-06T00:55:00.003+02:00

Journalist Benjamin Fulford explains to us the posible nexus between Japanese quakes and the US HAARP "experiment".

Messenger reaches Mercury.

2011-04-28T20:40:00.003+02:00

For the first time in History a man-made probe has entered Mercury's orbit. It has been a six and a half years trip for the Messenger (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry & Ranging). This month, the probe has started to send images and data from the innermost planet of the Solar System.

Mercury's surface

Antimatter biggest nucleus ever: Antihelium 4

2011-04-26T16:28:00.003+02:00

Antihelium 4, the specular image of the helium 4 has been produced for the first time ever in the USA, in the RHIC particle collider of the National Laboratory of Brookhaven.

Graphene paper, new material with stunning properties

2011-04-24T21:56:00.003+02:00

Graphene paper (GP) has been prepared by flow-directed assembly of graphene nanosheets. The mechanical properties of as-prepared GPs were investigated by tensile, indentation, and bending tests. Heat treated GPs demonstrate superior hardness, ten times that of synthetic graphite, and two times that of carbon steel; besides, their yielding strength is significantly higher than that of carbon steel. GPs show extremely high modulus of elasticity during bending test; in the range of a few terapascal. The high strength and stiffness of GP is ascribed to the interlocking-tile microstructure of individual graphene nanosheets in the paper. These outstanding mechanical properties of GPs could lead to a wide range of engineering applications.

Extract from: American Institute of Physics: Journal of Applied Physics.

Chevron nozzles: key for noise reduction in jet engines.

2011-04-15T17:48:00.002+02:00

The holidays are here and the nation's airports are busier than ever –thousands of airplanes taking off and landing. Passengers and people living around airports are reminded that the airplane is not the quietest mode of transportation; certainly not as quiet as a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer.

Fear not, because even while travelers are heading home, NASA continues working with others in industry and academia on technologies that will create a more silent night (and day) around airports.

One of the most recent noise-reducing technologies shepherded through the research process by NASA and now making a difference on commercial jet engines is chevrons.

Chevrons are the sawtooth pattern seen on the trailing edges of some jet engine nozzles. As hot air from the engine core mixes with cooler air blowing through the engine fan, the shaped edges serve to smooth the mixing, which reduces turbulence that creates noise.

"Successes like chevrons are the result of a lot of different, hard-working people and are the result of a lot of very small efforts that all come together, often across many scientific disciplines," said James Bridges, the associate principal investigator responsible for coordinating aircraft noise research at NASA.

The new Boeing 787 is among the most modern jets relying on chevrons to reduce engine noise levels. It sports chevrons on the nacelles, or fan housings. The Boeing 747-8 has chevrons on both the nacelles and inner core engine nozzles.

At first glance chevrons appear to be an elegant solution, but the simplistic-looking design masks years of experimentation that relied on an ever-evolving set of research tools to correct mistakes along the way.

"Early on, we didn't have the advanced diagnostics, instrumentation and insight to know what we had done to make it worse instead of better," Bridges said. "You have an idea and then you cut out a piece of metal and try it. Sometimes the kernel of the idea might have worked out, but the way you did it wound up causing more noise."

NASA is exploring another noise-reducing technology – this one for helicopters – that is going through a process of discovery similar to that for the chevron.

Helicopters are notoriously loud because of the turbulence caused by their blades spinning through the air. Before specific solutions can be tested, NASA must first collect data on how the rotor blades interact with air under a variety of operating conditions. A series of tests to do that were conducted on a UH-60A Blackhawk helicopter rotor in a NASA wind tunnel from January to May 2010.

But even before the tests could be run, new techniques for making measurements over the large area covered by the whirling blades had to be invented and tested. Three different data-gathering methods using lasers, light and high-speed photography were modified for use in the wind tunnel.

It's exactly this kind of methodic, detailed effort – where a critical measurement may first require thorough tests to make sure the data collection is even possible – that defines the foundational research necessary to solve the problems of flight in general, and noise in particular, Bridges said.

"Until somebody works on the details that make the measurement work or validates the computer code in the first place, we wouldn’t realize the insights we need to make progress," Bridges said.

"Sometimes it’s hard to make a direct connection between all of this preliminary work and the ultimate goal," he said, "but when you have enough of these things going you will have breakthroughs and successes."

Noise reduction research is just one of several key investigations underway by NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate in Washington. These include efforts to improve the intrinsic safety of current and future aircraft, to improve air traffic control procedures for the Next Generation Air Transportation System, and to develop technologies that will enable more fuel efficient aircraft with reduced emissions.

ARTICLE BY JIM BANKE (NASA)

First man in space: 50th anniversary

2011-04-13T20:25:00.001+02:00

Yuri Gagarin became the first man to reach space on April 12th 1961.

Ibiza Science Fair 2011

2011-04-11T20:12:00.002+02:00

Santiago Lobo, Roberto Sánchez and Álvaro Franco were presenting from 6th to 10th of April in Ibiza the CanSat DeSoto. They were invited by AJOIIB (young researchers from Balear Illes association) to take part in it.

3rd International CanSat Competition delayed to April 2012

2011-03-16T11:13:00.003+01:00

The 3rd International Competition organized by LEEM in Madrid, ment to be held this summer 2011, has been delayed.

The new date has already been updated: April 2012.
The place, the same as the 2nd International CanSat Competition: Madrid.

For new updates, check LEEM's website frequently: www.leem.es

Don Bosco National Prize for Tech innovation.

2011-03-13T22:08:00.005+01:00

Álvaro Franco González and Jiho Yang, directed by José Francisco Romero García (recently awarded as the Best High School Physics teacher in Spain by the Spanish Royal Society of Physics, RSEF) received the First Prize in Sciences (one of the four categories) in the XXIV edition of this annual competition.
Retamar School has won a First Prize four years consecutively!
The winner list is in the follwing link:
http://www.salesianos.edu.es/zar/PDB/FALLO%20DEL%20JURADO%20CON%20RESUMEN.pdf

CanSat Launch in Andenes (Norway)

2011-03-07T08:56:00.001+01:00

The motor of the rocket failed and it crashed in the mountain... we never found our cansat.

RK-18 Rocket

2011-03-05T16:22:00.003+01:00

This rocket is the one that will be used in the 3rd International CanSat Competition, going to be held in Madrid. It was lent to us by the LEEM, the organizers of the International CanSat Competition.

Cansat DeSoto... secrets first-time published

2011-02-18T17:17:00.001+01:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More desoto

1st anniversary: a year of a project come true.

2011-01-03T11:04:00.003+01:00

Already a year since project DeSoto was born as an application to take part in the 1st European CanSat Competition.
Goals have changed dramatically along this time, three CanSats have been built... and there are still some future plans. Jiho Yang and Álvaro Franco González will attend the Don Bosco National Prize for Technological Innovation in March (7,8,9)presenting their work.

3rd International CanSat Competition coming soon...

2010-12-13T14:40:00.002+01:00

LEEM (laboratory for space and microgravity research) is already preparing the 3rd International CanSat Competition that will be held in Spain in the summer of 2011.

http://cansat.leem.es/

Tommaso Calzolari visiting.

2010-12-04T22:49:00.003+01:00

Tommaso Calzolari from the italian team in the European CanSat Competition is visiting Madrid and has dated us to receive him.
Good memories will be brought back...

Planning a new cansat rehearsal.

2010-11-17T23:56:00.001+01:00

Planning to buy a rocket for our cansat in order to test it.
The chosen rocket would be the Intruder Rocket, the one used in the European CanSat Competition. It reaches 1000m and 550Km/h...

Young Scientists National Competition

2010-10-31T11:16:00.002+01:00

We presented our CanSat project in may to the national competition of Young Scientists and we were selected among the 40 best works to the final Congress held in Mollina (Málaga,Spain).
The team, represented by Jiho Yang and Álvaro Franco González, obtained this very month (2nd October) the "Best engineering and technological work" Award given by the Technical University of Madrid.

The "Right stuff" Award in the 1st European CanSat Competition

2010-10-30T22:12:00.009+02:00

We are back from Norway, the European Competition is over. The result, the Right Stuff Award. Here are some photos of the Competiton (15th-19th August):the launch, the presentations of our project...

DeSoto CanSat detects the sun and points to it.

2010-10-30T16:05:00.001+02:00

The cansat detects the sun using a system of photodiodes. The data from each of them is compared using an Arduino Nano board and a DC motor with the flywheel is told how to move depending on the comparisons of the photodiodes (using an l293d chip).

Final Document

2010-08-11T13:34:00.002+02:00

We have already handed to the European Space Agency our Final Document for the European Space Agency.
Although we worked yesterday from 10:00 am till 5:30 am we could not finish it adequately; it is certainly a huge work.
Nevertheless, it is done. We are now going to Andoya with the objective to detect the Arctic Haze with our spectrophotometer.

Preparing the CanSat for the flight to Andoya.

2010-08-09T23:01:00.002+02:00

We are in the last few days before the launch of our CanSat and the Team is finishing off their CanSat. We are already in Madrid, in Retamar School. We are facing some problems installing a SD Card to our CanSat. This Card will serve as a mass storage that will collect the data from the sensors (temperature and pressure) and the GPS to ensure the data of the flight is not lost in case the telemetry fails.
We are also testing the spectrophotometer (which analises the diferent types of light) with diferent light sources, making a parachute for strong winds and buying some spare boards and electronic devices that our CanSat could need...
We do also want to thank all our sponsors here, because without them all this would have been impossible, and this CanSat is also theirs; we are truly thankful to them:

Tecnun (University of Navarre). (They let us their laboratories whenever we wanted and supplied us with all the material we needed).

Retamar School (Pozuelo de Alarcón). (We can not express with words all you have done for us, specially Pepepaco).

Spanish Royal Society of Physics. (They know why).

Urruti Sports (San Sebastián). (They supplied us with materials for the parachute).

City of Pozuelo de Alarcón. (They have supplied us with presents for all the competitors in the Competition and have always wanted to know how the project was going on).

We already have a uniform to wear.

2010-07-22T18:41:00.002+02:00

We have already chosen part of our uniform we are wearing in the Competition in Andoya (15-19 August). It is a vest, and on it we have set the logos of some of the companies that have supported us economically or with materials.

New video from DeSoto Team on YouTube.

2010-07-22T18:38:00.003+02:00

You can find our new video compiling our performance in the European CanSat Competition since the 15th of May till the 15th of July now on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFmfd362cVU

After two weeks in Tecnun... back home.

2010-07-19T19:49:00.002+02:00

We are back from Tecnun and the CanSat is almost finished. There are still some parts to do like some parachutes for different winds and test more deeply the spectrophotometer (the device that studies the solar radiation in order to determine the kind of gases in the atmosphere).
The spectrophotometer.

The CanSat.

DeSoto continues its outreach...

2010-07-16T14:12:00.002+02:00

An article about DeSoto Team and our project has been published in the Spanish Royal Society of Physics Electronic Bulletin. It reaches 3000 people via e-mail and since those people are, in their mayority, teachers, we expect more students to join the CanSat world!
http://rsef.uc3m.es/images/boletinRSEF/BOLRSEF_Julio2010.pdf

First days working in Tecnun.

2010-07-07T22:49:00.005+02:00

We are back in Tecnun and we are staying for 2 weeks. In this first days we have done the external structure of the CanSat, a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for motor control of the inertial wheels, built a little system to handle the motor in the CanSat...
The plan is to do a rehearsal of the whole experiments we are doing in the Competition (15-19 August) on Saturday, so that we can manage at least a month to improve it.

Álvaro Franco working on the PCB.

The external structure of the CanSat.

The PCB.

Roberto Sánchez and Álvaro Franco working on the external structure of the CanSat.

Some pieces we made using a 3D Printer inTecnun Laboratories.

2010-07-03T23:42:00.002+02:00

This one is for the little mirror we will set in the spectrophotometer.

This one is for the grating and the collimator used in the spectrophotometer.

After working in the anechoic chamber...

2010-07-01T23:34:00.003+02:00

We spent all morning working in an anechoic chamber in the Politécnica University of Madrid and we left with what we were looking for: the horizontal radiation pattern of our antenna.

New video on YouTube.

2010-06-30T10:35:00.002+02:00

Check out our new video in www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0w03lCinSM.

Here you will find the design of our CanSat made in SketchUp.

The team keep working.

2010-06-29T15:22:00.003+02:00

Measuring rpm of the motor with respect to voltage.

Making the shape for the external structure of the CanSat.

Tiny batteries...

Yagi antenna in an anechoic chamber.

2010-06-28T20:13:00.003+02:00

Confirmed: on thursday at 11:00 we are going to determine the experimental X-Y diagram of the Yagi antenna and to test it in an anechoic chamber in the Politécnica University of Madrid.

Back from Tecnun.

2010-06-25T20:52:00.004+02:00

Here are some photos of what we did there.
Santi Working

One of the laboratories.

Designing with ProEngineer.

Inertial wheel.

Shelves for the CanSat.

DeSoto: Interview on Radio Pozuelo.

2010-06-24T09:14:00.002+02:00

DeSoto on the Radio.

2010-06-23T10:46:00.003+02:00

Yesterday we were intereviewed on Radio Pozuelo because of our participation in the European CanSat competition. We were asked about what we had already done, what we were doing in Tecnun laboratories and our plans for the future.

Final Countdown

2010-06-19T20:31:00.003+02:00

"Men wanted for Hazardous Journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success."

2010 Photos of CanSat Competition. Texas

2010-06-19T19:13:00.000+02:00

2010 Photos

University of Navarra (Tecnun): here we go

2010-06-18T00:03:00.005+02:00

On Tuesday we are going to the laboratories of the University of Navarra in San Sebastián (Tecnun)in order to construct the inertial wheels necessary to point the CanSat to the Sun. We are staying there till Thursday and will be using milling machines, on which we already have some experience as you can see on the photos!

Going to the Politécnica University in Madrid.

2010-06-17T21:52:00.004+02:00

We are soon going to an anechoic chamber in the Politécnica University of Madrid (UPM) to determine the X-Y diagram of our antenna (necessary to receive the data from the CanSat during its descent).
We have to thank the help provided by Didac Zurita Piñol, from the LEEM and organiser of the 2nd International CanSat Competition.

DeSoto has now a Facebook group!

2010-06-15T20:15:00.001+02:00

DeSoto team has created a Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127660467266711
Join it!

Post-Course

2010-06-14T20:33:00.004+02:00

After the course is finished we have started this very morning a hard timetable in the CanSat issue: from 9am to 5pm (while every 18-student is on holidays)we are working, from Monday to Friday.
Already on the go, the progress is palpable. We have changed the Programming-Board from the CanSat Kit, and are using now a shielded Arduino Nano , which will enable us to connect all the additional phototransistors we need. It actually works better than the old one!

Current Outreach history

2010-06-01T21:42:00.001+02:00

OUTREACH: DeSoto Team.

-Blog (49 followers and more than 5000 visits; only student-made webpage associated to Retamar). Also a Spanish version.
-2 announcements in Retamar Web .
-2 announcements in Retamath (Retamar´s magazine).
-Video on YouTube (200 visits in 5 days and 1 award from YouTube).
-Article in the IB World Magazine for January 2011.
-Interview with the Councilor for Education from Pozuelo de Alarcón.
-Stand in the Party from Retamar (8000 people).
-Article in the Spanish Royal Society of Physics Electronic Bulletin in June (3000 e-mails).

Party in Retamar School!!

2010-05-29T15:45:00.004+02:00

After the Party come the conclusions: DeSoto team displayed a great part in the whole event establishing a "stand" explaining to people a little about the CanSat aided by posters and leaflets, flying a balloon (we are getting experience in its use for further application to the CanSat in order to use it as a lifting system so the CanSat can simulate its descent) and getting aereal photos from the students´parade with an attached camera. Some photos are shown below:

Some rehearsals for the Party in Retamar.

2010-05-28T20:50:00.009+02:00

Jorge Hellín checking the push of the helium balloon with an X-Plorer.
Santiago Lobo with an helium drum.

Invitation for the end of academic course party

2010-05-28T13:14:00.004+02:00

Our school will be holding an annual event this saturday celebrating the near end of course. The whole team will be attending this event in order to participate and set up a stand with information about the proyect and film this celebration with a camera set on a meteorogical balloon at around 70m high.

As a result, we invite all followers and visitors to come to our school to enjoy the event and those who want to know more about the proyect to come and ask.

We are located here: 22, Pajares St., 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain; in the Retamar School. Our stand will be close to the physics laboratory

Nevertheless, for those who may not be able to come we will answer any questions send to the following e-mails:

jorge.hellin.10@retamar.es

alvaro.franco.10@retamar.es

Thanks everyone for your support and for your corrections

Award from YouTube

2010-05-27T12:06:00.002+02:00

Our video was conceded an award from YouTube this very morning as one of the most seen in the field of Science and Technology.
Find out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X18CF7N5NJQ

Trophy already in Retamar´s showcases.

2010-05-26T15:38:00.005+02:00

The trophy obtained in the 2nd International CanSat Competition (Silver Award) has already been placed in one of the showcases in Retamar. For those of you who have easy access to Retamar, the trophy is in the showcase under the stairs, on the ground floor of the central building.

DeSoto Team ESA CANSAT (SPAIN)

2010-05-25T17:18:00.000+02:00

Poster for the End of Academic Course Party in Retamar.

2010-05-23T11:42:00.002+02:00

As we announced previously we are developing some posters for the Party in Retamar in order to introduce the project to the 8000 people coming to the party. Here is the first one!

Reached the 5000 visits.

2010-05-20T22:02:00.002+02:00

Only one thing to say: thank you all, accidental visitors, friends or whatever you are. DeSoto´s Blog is meeting its objective.

IB World.

2010-05-17T19:52:00.008+02:00

Our proposal has been accepted in the IB World Magazine and finally we are publishing an article in January 2011 since they wanted it for then:

Thanks very much for your email. Yes, we’d definitely be interested in featuring this in the magazine. The only issue is that I understand it’s taking place in August, which is past our deadline. The magazine is published in September. We may have to do a retrospective piece after the event has been held, for our January 2011 issue.

The article will consist of a description of our project and a reportage of the events taking place in Andoya in August 2010.

Next step: something like this to test the antenna.

2010-05-13T21:05:00.001+02:00

Already preparing End of Academic Course Party in Retamar.

2010-05-10T21:48:00.008+02:00

End of Academic Course Party is the greatest event in Retamar school. It takes place every year on the latest Saturday of May and every family comes to celebrate the end of the course. Beyond the many activities carried out that day, there is the fact that in the school there are 2100 pupils; this means more than 8000 people coming to school that day (acording to last year statistics) and DeSoto has thought it is a unique oportunity to advertise their project without a huge monetary investment. Thus we are preparing some posters and leaflets for people to get to know CanSat World and ESA´s Competition as well as our own work.

ESA´S PDR submitted!

2010-05-08T00:35:00.005+02:00

The preliminary design review requested by the ESA was succesfully finished and submitted in time after a long day working; the result: 30 pages and 4500 words that sum up what we have already done and what we have yet to do.

IB World

2010-05-03T21:52:00.002+02:00

After a good outreach materialised in two announcements in Retamar´s web and other two in Retamatch magazine, we are maintaining conversations with the IB World Magazine staff, aiming to publish an article in the next issue (May).

All_You_Can_Fly_2010.wmv

2010-04-30T19:57:00.000+02:00

Already facing the great compromise: Andoya

2010-04-26T18:04:00.002+02:00

DeSoto team is having an important meeting tomorrow afternoon at 5:00 pm with the objective of preparing the PDR for the ESA´s CanSat Competition.
Interviews will take place after the reunion; if you are interested, please, wait till then, thank you.

More about Domingo de Soto: dynamics.

2010-04-22T17:04:00.005+02:00

Retamar's commitment.

2010-04-19T22:51:00.002+02:00

Retamar is evidently committed with the proyect, and so has been demonstrated with the addition of a link to our blog:
http://retamar.com/modules/xt_conteudo/index.php?id=64
We have to say it is the first student-made blog linked in Retamar and we are incredibly proud of it. Thank you for the support.

More about Domingo de Soto: influence on Galileo.

2010-04-17T15:57:00.004+02:00

De Soto´s contributions remained in the literature for scholars of that time to consider (his eight editions titled Quaestiones super octo libros physicorum Aristotelis) and were known to Galileo, who mentions Domingo de Soto in his Tractatus de Elementis. Galileo also attended classes by some of Domingo´s intellectual descendants. Acording to this, the concept of the resistentia interna of a body foreshadows Galileo´s resistenza interna.

Winners´ list: 2nd International CanSat Competition

2010-04-15T23:00:00.005+02:00

Prizes
2nd INTERNATIONAL CANSAT COMPETITION LEEM-UPM
*Comeback category (CanSat must navigate by its own means and stopping as near as possible of a target located on launch field ground)
- Gold Award: BudStar Team (France)
- Silver Award: CLES-FACIL Team (France)
- Bronce Award: We Can Sat Team (Spain)
*Telemetry category (CanSat must communicate to ground station data of its flight)
- Gold Award: CatSat Team (Spain)
- Silver Award: ARI-Space (Iran)
*Scientific experimentation (Open category)
- Gold Award: IIUM Team (Malaysia)
- Silver Award: DeSoto Team (Spain)
- Bronce Award; L3M Team (Spain)

ROCKET MASTER COMPETITION
Battle of rockets category
- Gold Award: Terrasa Team (Spain)
- Silver Award: IIUM Team (Malaysia)

UAV COMPETITION
Balloons category
- Gold Award: ChaSat Team (Spain)
Merit Award
- UYARI Team (Turkey)
Professional Category Award
- SYTEK Team (Spain)

CNES Award
- CatSat Team (Spain)

A brief description of the contest is here

Presenting the trophy to the Headmaster.

2010-04-15T19:36:00.006+02:00

DeSoto has already presented its Silver Award from the 2nd International CanSat Competition to the Headmaster of Retamar.
From left to right: Álvaro Franco, Santiago Lobo, the Headmaster José Luis Alier, Jorge Hellín, Javier Ferrater, Jiho Yang, Roberto Sánchez and Alejandro García.

News for followers.

2010-04-14T15:55:00.003+02:00

DeSoto appreciates the support the followers offer to the project, and the team is prepared to reward them: the summer shirt from DeSoto brand which is about to be produced will have a 30% discount for them.
You can start ordering it writing an e-mail to alvaro.franco.10@retamar.es indicating your size and paying its prize personally to any of the DeSoto members.

DeSoto is awarded 2nd Prize.

2010-04-12T14:34:00.003+02:00

Our participation in the 2nd International CanSat Competition has ended up very succesfully: in our category, Scientific Experimentation, we have been awarded Silver Medal!
Considering it objectively, we have to recognise it is a terrific feat for us, mainly because of our unexperience (it is our first participation in such a contest) and also because of the high level of the competitors.
Let us keep working like this and we will achieve many more satisfying times in the future!

DeSoto in the 2nd International CanSat Competition

2010-04-10T20:39:00.001+02:00

Opening ceremony of 2nd Int. CanSat Competition.

2010-04-10T17:11:00.004+02:00

Zahira speaks about us: 8:30.

Finishing preparation for 2nd International CanSat Competition

2010-04-06T21:50:00.002+02:00

Jiho Yang with the Yagi antenna.

Meeting with the Councillor for Education

2010-04-06T21:47:00.003+02:00

José Francisco Romero (right) and Álvaro Franco (left) with the Councillor for Education.

Promoting the DeSoto project.

2010-04-05T14:41:00.003+02:00

Tomorrow some members of DeSoto are having lunch with the Councillor for Education of Pozuelo de Alarcón. The goal of this meeting is to present our LEEM-UPM project as well as the ESA´s one.

2nd International CanSat Competition

2010-04-02T18:23:00.005+02:00

Only one week to go.
DeSoto team is already finishing its preparation for the 2nd International CanSat competition organised by LEEM; (some people call it the Spanish CanSat Competition, because it is organised and held in Spain).
After almost two months of working the programming is done, which consists of receiving data from temperature and pressure sensors. The internal and the external extructures are prepared for the launch. The little camera that is going to be attached is prepared too; we are currently working in the GPS we are going to include to compare its results to those given indirectly by the temperature and pressure sensor. The Yagi antenna is being built right now, but it will be surely finished before the deadline.
DeSoto is almost prepared to participate in this competition, which for us is an honour, since only University teams are allowed to participate, with the only exception of DeSoto (High School students).

Photo with Reynaldosat in Portugal.

2010-04-01T16:28:00.001+02:00

Visiting Portugal.

2010-04-01T14:16:00.003+02:00

Yesterday we met the Reynaldosat team, the portuguese team in the ESA´s CanSat Competition. We interchanged impressions about our projects and had a great time toguether in their school, which headmaster received us very pleasantly. Thank you (especially Isabel Plantier) for your cosy receivement!
We will soon upload some photos taken that day.

Team photo : final members

2010-03-26T18:38:00.003+01:00

From left to right: Pablo Luis, Santiago Lobo, Roberto Sánchez, Alejandro García, Javier Ferrater, Álvaro Franco, Jiho Yang, Jorge Hellín and Pepepaco (José Francisco Romero).

Plan for Sunday.

2010-03-26T18:13:00.003+01:00

On Sunday we all (DeSoto team) have an arrangement in Retamar at 10:00 in the morning (only expected to attend those who are in Madrid).

Works to do

2010-03-25T22:59:00.011+01:00

This is the scheme of works to do each and one of us.
After reading this, you should leave a comment or else, you will be considered to not have read it and we will have a personal contact with you.

Station - Mechanical : Jorge Hellín,
Information : Roberto Sánchez
Satellite - Mechanical : Álvaro Franco, Alejandro García
Information : Santiago Lobo, Jiho Yang
Comunication and advertisement : Javier Ferrater

Station refers to the ground station. Jorge Hellín should be capable of start working with the communication system and Robero Sánchez should apply it to other apparatus.

Álvaro Franco and Alejandro Gracía are in charge of the physical design of the cansat. Both of them should design the cansat being aware of its limits such as weight.
Santiago Lobo and Jiho Yang are supposed to programme the Cansat.

Until the competition in UPM, we have 14 days left. We should have our Cansat finished until 1st of April.
Some of us have a partner in their work. It´s because work in pairs is necessary in some parts and for this reason, if you have a partner you should stay in contact personally with your partner and work together.

There will be another meeting in this weekend(26th,27th of March) for those who will be staying in Madrid until then.
Each and one of them should report what you have done so far and prepare the questions to ask. And we will be discussing about the problems we have and find out solutions.
Those who won´t be able to participate the meeting, they must write an e-mail to D.Pepe Paco or write it on our blog what you have done. If you have questions you must send it too so that we can try to solve the problem and finish the project.

For more details, we will send to each and one of yours e-mails personally.

I hope this will help to make clear what you have to do.

Thursday: presentation of done things

2010-03-24T20:47:00.002+01:00

Tomorrow 15:00 at "the office" there will be a meeting to update the current state of the proyect.

2nd International CanSat Competition

2010-03-23T22:53:00.000+01:00

PDR already submitted.
Let´s go.

New meeting.

2010-03-19T21:48:00.003+01:00

After three intense meetings for DeSoto team the Yagi antenna, directional 433MHz receiver, is being built. Programming is also being carried out and the parachute has been tested to fit the requirements established by the ESA.
On monday there will be another meeting in which the general design of the project will be submitted.

2nd International CanSat Competition.

2010-03-02T18:45:00.004+01:00

We have been invited to participate in the International CanSat Competition held by LEEM and Politécnica University in Madrid. Of course, we have accepted the invitation.

Published in Retamar´s magazine.

2010-03-01T11:16:00.003+01:00

This month we have been included in the magazine of Retamar, which reaches around 10000 people among students, parents and relatives.

Retamatch March 2010

Universe enthusiasts.

2010-02-27T19:50:00.001+01:00

Team photo: here we are.

2010-02-20T17:01:00.000+01:00

After a long week working...

2010-02-13T15:22:00.002+01:00

Description of the proyect

2010-02-07T14:54:00.000+01:00

As we have received some requests asking for the description of the proyect DeSoto here is the answer: there are three missions to perform; measure atmospheric pressure and temperature are common for all teams; our particular mission is to measure solar radiation, mantaining the satellite oriented to the sun using a flywheel system.

More about Domingo de Soto: mass

2010-02-04T23:16:00.000+01:00

De Soto called the concept nowadays Known as mass, "resistance". He associated with this concept two features: it was internal to the body (he distinguished it from the external resistance); and weight was proportional to the resistance (mass). It was the prelude to Newton´s 2nd law.

Pepepaco will go to Noordwijk

2010-02-02T22:42:00.000+01:00

Pepepaco will stay in Noordwijk (Netherlands) on the 12th and 13th of February to receive an intensive CanSat course. He will be given a CanSat kit from the company Pratt Hobbies, which will serve as a base for the proyect.

1st place

2010-01-31T21:33:00.000+01:00

Today we reached the first place on Google´s ranking with the words esa cansat, even overcoming ESA´s page!

More about Domingo de Soto: kinematics

2010-01-30T19:35:00.001+01:00

The works about a mass falling from the Spanish theologian (1494-1570) are surprising. The Dominican friar Domingo de Soto was the first to establish that a mass in a free fall suffers a constant acceleration with respect to time. His ideas are totally original , disagreeing with the thought of his time: even Galileo thought that the constant acceleration was dependent on space, not on time.
William Wallace in The Enigma of Domingo de Soto studies 19 contemporary authors with the finding that De Soto was the only one who tried to describe the movement with a unique independent variable: time. The rest of them tried to describe it with two independent variables: space and time.

Breaking forecasts

2010-01-30T10:52:00.000+01:00

At the beginning of the third week working, the blog http://www.retamarcansat.blogspot.com/ is still breaking forecasts: our blog is already the 7th on the Google when you enter the words esa cansat; a remarkable achievement.
Our selection for the ESA´s conpetition has been announced in the official web of Retamar too.

EXCELLENT NEWS

2010-01-29T22:38:00.000+01:00

Comunication from the ESA:

Dear Jose F.Romero;
It is my pleasure to inform you that DeSoto is one of the 12 Cansats selected to fly in the first European CanSat Competition, which is scheduled for 15-19 August 2010.

Good News

2010-01-28T19:08:00.000+01:00

Our blog www.retamarcansat.blogspot.com is already in the 43th place of the Google when you enter the words: esa cansat.
What is more, in its second week working.

Deadline has arrived

2010-01-28T16:55:00.000+01:00

The deadline arrived the 25th of january; 36 teams were inscribed, many of them from Greece. A swedish teem has contacted us this morning to interchange impressions and to propose working toguether with them. It is really a great oportunity for both teams.

All established.

2010-01-22T21:57:00.000+01:00

After a great meal in Caná where the totality of the CAR assisted (the Director "mr. ppp",the supervisor Pablo Luis, the director of communications and advertising Javier Ferrater, and the astrophysicists Jorge Hellín, Alejandro García, Roberto Sánchez and Álvaro Franco)the essential ideas to be developed have been clarified. Everything is prepared for the sign up.

Some photos.

2010-01-22T17:59:00.001+01:00

1st steps.

2010-01-21T19:28:00.000+01:00

Today was celebrated the first public announcement of our participation in the contest with an audience of 20 people in Retamar. This blog was also announced for those people who were interested in this kind of activity.
Tomorrow the CAR will be having lunch at a restaurant to discuss all the parameters of the sign up. Let´s go.

Explanation to the name of the satellite.

2010-01-20T19:17:00.000+01:00

Domingo de Soto was the first to establish that a mass falling suffers a constant acceleration (XVI), being this a key discovery in Physics, and the essential basis for the further study of the gravity by Galileo and Newton.
However GALILEO has a satellite named after him as well as NEWTON, but we noticed that Domingo was not well recognised for his discoveries and didn´t have any satellite with his name, so we decided to dedicate this proyect to him.

Presentation

2010-01-20T16:33:00.003+01:00

This blog has been created to describe the proyect from the CAR (club of astrophysics in Retamar)about building the satellite "Domingo de Soto" for the ESA´s contest CanSat.
This contest consists of building a can-size satellite, which will be launched from a rocket 1 km high. During the fall, it will take some measures comparable to real satellite experiences.
Here are the team members from left to right and from the top to the bottom: José Francisco Romero also called Pepepaco (teacher), Alejandro García, Álvaro Franco, Jorge Hellín, Roberto Sánchez, Santiago Lobo and Javier Ferrater.