A CanSat is a type of sounding rocket payload used to teach space technology. It is similar to the technology used in miniaturized satellites. No CanSat has ever left the atmosphere, nor orbited the Earth.[citation needed]
In CanSat competitions, the payload is required to fit inside the volume of a typical soda can (66 mm diameter and 115 mm height) and have a mass below 350 g.[1] Antennas can be mounted externally, but the diameter can't increase until the CanSat has left the launch vehicle. The CanSats are deployed from small rocket at height which varies depending on the competition.[2] CanSats are equipped with a recovery system, usually a parachute, to limit damage upon recovery and to allow the CanSat to be reused. CanSats are used to teach space technology, because of their inexpensive price and small volume.