Kildare school wins battle to build satellite for space mission

A team of second-level students from Confey College in Leixlip has won the national leg of the CanSat competition in which budding engineers build miniature satellites for future space missions. The CanSat competition is a European Space Agency (ESA) competition to develop a range of analytical equipment and place it into a container the size and shape of a soft drink can. Organised in Ireland by ESERO (European Space Education Resource Office) Ireland and CEIA, the national leg of the competition was held in Birr, Co Offaly (below)is part of a wider European competition to find the best budding satellite engineers to represent different nations at the European final taking place in Portugal from 22 to 26 June this year. The team from Confey College was selected as the overall winners, led by team leader, Liam Murphy, and including Alex Bourke, Julia Waszkiewicz, Kieran Kilbane, Naoise Barry, Conor Walsh, Denis Buhai and Gergely Geller. Also taking part in the national competition were teams from Cos Galway, Cork, Tipperary, Limerick, Dublin and Westmeath. Speaking of the Kildare team’s success, Stephanie O’Neill, ESERO Ireland Manager, told Siliconrepublic.com: “I would like to congratulate Confey College on their achievement, but I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication shown by our other finalists – each team did a fantastic job, the quality of the work this year was incredible.” Pictured from r-l: Team leader Liam Murphy (with cup) Alex Bourke, Julia Waszkiewicz, Kieran Kilbane, Naoise Barry, Conor Walsh, Denis Buhai and Gergely Geller of Confey College. Image via Deirdre Connolly/CAMEO Communications