Canadian Stratospheric Balloon Experiment Design Challenge (CAN-SBX)

logo for CAN-SBX

Canadian Stratospheric Balloon Experiment Design Challenge VI (CAN-SBX)

2023-2024

The Canadian Stratospheric Balloon Experiment Design Challenge (CAN-SBX) is a competition for Canadian post-secondary students to design and test a small scientific experiment to fly on board a high-altitude balloon provided by the Canadian Space Agency. The CAN-SBX program allows post-secondary students to develop different experiments in areas such as astrophysics, Earth atmosphere, Earth magnetic field, biology, remote sensing, and technology demonstrations.

This year, the CAN-SBX Design Challenge will take advantage of the new CSA balloon platform, allowing for payloads of up to 5 kg to fly under expandable balloons. These launches will be on a smaller scale, so students will have to design payloads that are both compact and lightweight, which may be challenging for certain applications. 

Any student team at a Canadian university or college may submit a proposal, and after careful evaluation, top teams will be selected to fully design, build and fly their experiments. Selected teams will have the opportunity to attend the launch campaign which will involve students in launch operations, flight tracking, and payload recovery. The goal of CAN-SBX VI is for students to gain enough experience to eventually lead balloon launches from their home institutions. SEDS-Canada strives to create a tangible student-led impact in space exploration and development. This is a unique opportunity allows students to develop skills in STEM and conduct research in an environment that is unparalleled here on Earth. For more details, check our our CAN-SBX Handbook (linked below).

Participating students gain hands-on experience in:

design, building, and testing a space payload
&
high-altitude balloon launch operations
&
high-altitude balloon launch recovery

Students will bring back this new-found knowledge to their home institution and
continue launching balloons (and doing SCIENCE!)

Competition Info

A new round of applications for CAN-SBX V is now open!

image of sbx step 1

Excited? So are we! How should you get started? First, you should form a team;  it is probably the easiest to start with your friends and classmates. Next, you should start looking at possible experiments. There are many ways to do this, but we suggest starting with our basic list of Relevant Areas of Research where you can find the general topics applicable to microgravity research, as well as some previous experiment topics. You should also try use your professors or other contacts at your university as a resource; we’re sure they are full of ideas. 

image of sbx step 2

Next, you should express your interest in the CAN-SBX competition using our Google Form. Although this step is not required for submitting an application, this helps us gauge interest in the competition. We’ll also send you updates and reminders about the application process as well as tips for applying. 

image of sbx step 3

Lastly, you should read our Student Handbook which describes the competition requirements and timeline, eligibility (including team composition eligibility criteria), expectations, and, most importantly, how to apply!

With applications now open, we’ve closed our Expression of Interest form. For questions about the application process, eligibility, or further clarification please email cansbx@seds.ca

Complete the form-fillable Application Form for itemized submission instructions.
Consult the Application Guidelines for detailed information about Proposal requirements, competition timeline, and the research environment & constraints

Email cansbx@seds.ca with your completed Application Form, Proposal document, and supporting documents

Submission Deadline is October 8th, 2023

Interested in the competition?

Fill out this form to express your interest and we'll send you updates about the application process and tips for applying.

Applications are now closed.

Teams who have applied will be notified of their selection (or not) by December 2, 2020.

Looking to learn more about the campaign?
Our
handbook covers it all!

Our handbook contains all the
information selected teams need.

The CAN-SBX 2023-2024 handbook is available:

Participating teams can access the latest version of the
Canadian Space Agency's Balloon Users Manual here:

A copy of the Faculty Endorsement Letter can be found here.

The CAN-SBX How-To Guide contains additional tips and advice (including the proposal stage!)

2023-24 Competition timeline

Q: Can I apply if I am an international student?
A: Yes! Any student enrolled at a Canadian post-secondary institution can apply, regardless of residency status.

Q: Can I participate if I am enrolled part time?
A: Yes! As long as you can provide proof of enrolment at your academic institution, you can enter into the competition.

Q: Do you accept unofficial proof of enrolment?
A: We accept the following: an official proof of enrolment letter, a scan of a student ID card showing the expiry, a screenshot of a current timetable clearly showing the year/student name/student ID, or a tuition invoice/financial statement showing the year/student name/student ID. Proof of enrolment for each team member must be submitted with the team’s Proposal.

Q: Is there a limit on how many members can be in my team?
A: No, however your team can only be associated with one ‘primary Canadian institution’. This means that any team members who are not enrolled at the primary Canadian institution will be listed as ‘collaborating institutions/members’.

Q: Who can I ask for help if I have a technical question related to my experiment design?
A: Selected teams will have access to a group of Subject Matter Experts (SME) who have extensive knowledge on stratospheric balloon science. These SMEs will be available to answer your technical questions during the competition. For questions related to the submission of the proposal, send an email to cansbx@seds.ca.

Q: Will lab space or equipment be provided to build our experiment?
A: No. Teams are responsible for securing access to proper facilities/equipment needed to design and build their experiment.

Q: Can my Faculty Advisor be a post-doctoral researcher or doctoral student?
A: No. If you have concerns or questions about who qualifies as a “Faculty Advisor” please email us at cansbx@seds.ca

A balloon 140,000 ft in the air can be useful for many engineering or scientific tests including: 

  • Earth Imaging
  • Space Weather
  • Observational Astronomy/Astronomical Instrumentation
  • Astroparticle and Radiation Sciences (including effects of radiation on biological processes)
  • Material Science
  • Gravitational Field Experiments
  • Fundamental Physics
  • Technology Development (can increase TRL level)
  • Atmospheric Science 

For inspiration, here is a list of abstract titles from previous CSA/CNES STRATOS Stratospheric Balloon Campaigns, which cover several research topics:

  • Balloon-borne Imaging Testbed or BIT (a wide-field imaging telescope for high-quality astronomical observations)
  • Payload for Remote sounding of the Atmosphere using Balloon Limb Experiments or PARABLE (measurements of the atmosphere for climate change science and atmospheric pollution studies)
  • Self-contained 360° camera rig
  • High-Contrast Imaging Balloon System or HiCIBas (precision pointing telescope system)
  • The reaction of calcite as a substitute aerosol for solar radiation management, a potential tool for climate change mitigation
  • Multispectral Imager for Earth Observation
  • Imaging Fabry-Pérot Spectrometer (IFPS)
  • GPS and Data Logger Breadboard

+ YOUR TEAM HERE!

Meet past CAN-SBX participants!!

(click pic for more information, if available)

2023

StratoNeers
(University of British Columbia Okanagan)

2022

AstroBubble
(Carleton University)
MSG
(McGill University)
StratoNeers
(University of British Columbia Okanagan)

2021


PolyOrbite
Polytechnique Montréal
QSET HORIZON
(Queen's University)

2020

logo of mcmaster neudose
NEUDOSE-HAB
(McMaster University)
image of western ubt team
Western UBT
(Western University)

2019

image of Team AC20(UBC Okanagan)
Team AC2O
(Univ. of British Colombia Okanagan)
image of Team Western U HAB(Western Univ.)
Team Western U HAB
(Western Univ.)

2018

image of Team AlbertaSat(Univ. of Alberta)
AlbertaSat
(University of Alberta)
image of Team HABOO(Univ. of Alberta)
Team HABOO
(University of Alberta)

Check out our other projects and events

Scroll to Top