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2004 TeamJared Schott

Josh Shreve

Caitlin

Vanderbush

Nate StockeyJohn Shoots

Mike Wilson

Stephanie Sprague

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METEOR BACKGROUND

• To our knowledge, METEOR is the first, university-based, project in the world whose ultimate goal is to launch and place small payloads:– (1) In low Earth Orbit, – (2) on near Earth asteroids, and – (3) lunar surfaces will serve as launching point for future projects,

experiments, and research

• Benefits of Launching from upper atmosphere– <1% atmospheric density of sea level

• Less parasitic drag. Rockets can be launched without payload caps– Eliminates the need for permanent ground launch facilities– Enables launches from different latitudes

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Project Objective:

Design a recoverable, airborne, high altitude, balloon tethered, 3-axes

stabilized platform for future small rocket launches and near space

scientific experiments

Challenges:To design a system for the rigors of near space (>80,000’),

• <1% atmospheric density

• High temperature range

• Fast and high temperature changes

• Radiation

• Limited weight

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Balloon System Architecture

Zero Pressure Balloon

Cut-Down Device

Parachute

Platform

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– Accommodate 2 lb Rocket

– Stepper Motor Orientation Device

– 6 lb platform/payload weight limit

– Simulated payload• High Definition Digital

Camera

Design

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System Block Diagram

Digital Compass

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Flight Computer/FPGA• Altera Apex 20K Development Board

– Nios Processor @ 33.33 MHz• 32 bit Processor Core• Virtually Unlimited Serial Ports• Architecture is Defined via GUI/Block Diagram

– 5V Digital I/Os through custom daughter-card– 1 Mbyte FLASH Memory

• 512 Kbytes Data Memory• Allows Storage of Two Processor Layouts

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Communications• Kenwood TH-D7A(G)

– Built in TNC – APRS Capable

• Global Positioning System (GPS)– Navman Jupiter 8 – NMEA Compatible

• Non-System beacon– 147.80 MHz

• 7 messages in Morse Code

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ATV and High Resolution Camera• Amateur Television (ATV)

– Downlink Only: 439.25 MHz (Cable Channel 60)• Low Resolution Board Camera

– Monitor payload

• Video TX• Video OSD

• High Resolution Camera• 5 Mega Pixel Camera Donated by• Payload (first mission)

                     

                                

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Cut-down Device• Why do we need a cut-down device?

– Detach balloon from system after mission phase is complete– Satisfy FAA requirements

• NiChrome wire– Melts through fishing line when sufficient current passed

through• 2 Methods of current activation for redundancy

– Wireless System• KEYFOB TX on platform, RX on cut-down device• Passes current through NiChrome upon command

– PIC Controller (Microchip 12F675)• Redundancy in case of system failure• Cuts down after pre-programmed time

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Power• Batteries

– Three Battery Packs• UltraLife 9 Volt Lithium Batteries• Regulated to 5 Volts

– 2 batteries in parallel» Stepper Motor

• 9 Volts– 6 batteries in parallel

» Nios and connected circuitry

• Regulated to 12 Volts– 3 sets of 2 batteries in series in parallel

» ATV (Video TX, OSD, Low-Res Camera)

– Donated by

                                        

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Sensors• Magnetic Compass

– Heading information• Pressure• Temperature (Internal, External)• Accelerometer

– X,Y,Z acceleration

– Donated by

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Tracking/Recovery• Ground Station

– Mobile Equipment Used• Van, Laptops, 2m XCVR, GPS, Antennas (Mobile,

Yagi), Maps (Aeronautical, Road), TV/VCR, Cell Phones

– Positions• Range Officer, Flight Director, Communications,

Sensors, Dynamics, Payload, CapCom, Recovery Teams

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Dynamic Simulation

•Atmospheric Soundings for

current wind conditions

•Updatable APRS data from

the platform

•Flight Predictions

•Buoyant forces

•Velocity based drag

•Elevation based gas

property lookups

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•Descent path, landing

position and mapping

•Location recalculated to

Longitude and Latitude

•Necessary to assess

optimal cut-down time and

landing location

•Post-Mission analysis for

improvement of model

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Survivability Enclosure

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Conclusions• Senior Design Requirements

– Provided a prototype of launch platform– Includes necessary hardware to conduct successful

launch

• Improvements/Suggestions– Carbon Fiber Structure– Batteries that can provide more current– Lower power consumption– Integrated orientation control system

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Questions?

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BACKUP

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Motivation for New Design

• Motivation– Smaller Rocket– Federal Aviation Administration Regulations

• Ease of launching

– Senior Design Schedule

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RS-232 Interface

LAPTOPAX.25 Packet

Decoder

AX.25 Packet

EncoderMobile

144 MHz Transceiver

Handheld144 MHz

Transceiver

AX.25 Packet

Encoder

AX.25 Packet

Decoder

RS-232 Interface

Nios

2 m

LNA

70 cm

Amateur TVTransmitter

Video OSDLR CamAmateur TV

ReceiverTV

DisplayVCR

Emergency DF Setup

2m Beacon

RS-232

Packet Modem Packet Modem

GROUND PLATFORM

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• Ascent and Recovery Stage– Balloon

• Zero-Pressure Balloon– Allows for pressure to equilibrate

• Initial Volume of 357.9 ft2

• Final Volume of 19,000 ft2

– Parachute• 5 ft diameter nylon

• Terminal Velocity of 22 ft/s

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Rules & Regulations

•Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations• Part 101: Moored Balloons, Kites, Unmanned Rockets and Unmanned Free Balloons

•Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations

• Part 97: Amateur Radio Service