GATEWAY TO SPACE FALL 2010DESIGN DOCUMENT

Gateway to SpaceFall 2010Design Document

Team Space Jam

Written by:Ben AzleinBridget ChasePaul GuerrieTaylor KingShane MeikleMegan ScheeleJames Usherwood

December 1, 2010Revision D

Revision Log

RevisionDescriptionDateA/BConceptual and Preliminary Design Review10-05-10CCritical Design Review11-02-10DAnalysis and Final Report12-04-10

Table of Contents

1.0 Mission Overview…………………………………………………………………………………..…...……………4

2.0 Requirements Flow Down……………………………………….……………….……………………………....4

3.0 Design…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….6

4.0 Management………………………………………………………………………......…………………….………….9

5.0 Budget……………………………………………………………………………………..…………………….……....12

6.0 Test Plan and Results………………………………..…………………………….………………………………13

7.0 Expected Results…………………………………………………………………………………………………….16

8.0 Launch and Recovery………………………………………………………………….…..……………………….17

9.0 Results, Analysis, and Conclusion……………………………………………………….…………………….17

10.0 Ready for Flight……………………………………………………………………………………………………..20

11.0 Conclusions and Lessons Learned…………………………………………………………………………20

12.0 Message to Next Semester……………………………………………………………………………………..21

1.0 Mission Overview:

The balloonsat Monstar will discover the plausibility of controlling the attitude of a portion of a balloon satellite dedicated to a scientific experiment, which is heavily dependent on the position of the satellite. From analysis of our video we will be able to see what design improvements could be made to more efficiently control the attitude of our balloonsat.

The balloonsat Monstar will travel to an altitude of approximately 30 kilometers with an external camera taking pictures while rotating 360 degrees about the y axis (which runs vertically up and down) with the natural rotation of the balloon as a servo motor turns the camera between 0 degrees (the camera pointing directly down) and 180 degrees (the camera pointing directly up) about the x axis (which runs horizontally left and right). The balloonsat will also record temperature, pressure, humidity and the direction the camera is facing.

Our mission will focus on the controlled mechanical rotation of our camera to provide a foundation that can be built upon for other external scientific experiments. For example, the controlled rotation of the balloonsat could be used to record temperature in every direction. An analysis of this data could be used to find heat and temperature trends relative to position.

Taking pictures while rotating 360 degrees about the y-axis and 180 degrees about the x-axis will serve many purposes. First and foremost a picture of the entire Earth from 30 kilometers will be obtained from the many pictures that the balloonsat takes. This picture will serve as a visual representation of data being collected in every direction relative to the balloonsat. This in turn will allow other sorts of data, such as temperature, to be taken in every direction relative to the balloonsat.

2.0 Requirements Flow Down:

Below is our flow down chart where our basic requirements are described and explained. Every objective requirement (O) is taken directly from our mission statement (MS). The objective requirement is then discussed in more detail in the following levels, which can be traced back to the objective requirements. The subsystems requirements shall describe how our hardware is used to achieve our mission statement, while being tied to previous requirements.

Level

#

Detail

Derived From

Level 0

Basic Requirements

O

1

The Balloonsat shall ascend/descend to an altitude of 30 kilometers over a period of 2.5 hours on November 6.

MS

O

2

The balloonsat shall not exceed a mass of 850 grams.

MS

O

3

The expenses of the balloonsat shall not exceed $300.

MS

O

4

The balloonsat shall measure the interior and exterior temperature in Celsius throughout the flight.

MS

O

5

The attitude of the balloonsat shall be measured relative to the camera in degrees off of magnetic north.

MS

O

6

The inside of the balloonsat shall be kept above a temperature of negative 10 degrees Celsius.

MS

O

7

The balloonsat shall fly a camera to take picture throughout the flight.

MS

O

8

The balloonsat shall rotate the camera in the y-axis plane, to combine with the natural x-plane rotation of the flight.

MS

Level 1

System Requirements

S

1

The balloonsat shall have a tube through the center to attach the 2.4m Dacron flight string of the helium balloon.

O1

S

2

The balloonsat shall survive the severe temperatures throughout the flight, and the landing at the end of the flight.

O6

S

3

The structure shall protect all subsystems contained in the balloonsat and keep them from breaking.

O1

S

4

A digital compass shall be used to record the orientation of the camera on the balloonsat relative to magnetic north.

O5

S

5

A HOBO data logger shall be used to record internal and external temperature of the balloonsat.

O4

S

6

A mass budget and a monetary budget shall be created.

O2, O3

S

7

A servo shall be programmed to rotate the camera 0 degrees -180 degrees back and forth.

O5

S

8

A system of heaters and insulation shall be used to maintain an internal temperature above negative 10 degrees Celsius.

O8

S

9

The servo and the system of heaters shall be wired to a switch for easy use before launch.

O7

S

10

A Canon A570IS digital camera shall be flown.

O7

S

11

The balloonsat shall provide at most, 45 volts of power for the entire flight.

O1

S

12

All tests, design changes, and construction shall be completed prior to November 6th launch date.

O1

S

13

The camera will be mounted outside the balloonsat for possible rotation.

O8

Level 2

Subsystem Requirements

SS

1

The balloonsat structure shall consist of foam core.

S3

SS

2

All components shall be secured down in the box so not to be damaged during flight/landing.

S3

SS

3

The camera shall be protected by a layer of insulation and metal bracket.

S13

SS

4

The balloonsat shall bear the U.S.A. flag with contact information on the outside in case of separation from the flight string.

S3

SS

5

A system of ball bearings and the servo will be used to facilitate the smooth rotation of the camera.

S7

SS

6

A heating circuit shall be used with three 9V batteries.

S8

SS

7

The balloonsat will be insulated with the provided insulation foam and Styrofoam.

S8

SS

8

A Basic Stamp II module shall control the digital compass and the servo, and store their data.

S4, S7

3.0 Design:

The balloonsat structure will be a cube with a small rectangular prism cut out of it. The camera will be embedded in this space so it is free to rotate with the help of one servo-motor. The structure of the main container will be primarily foam core. It will be created with one sheet of foam core that is cut into connected squares and then folded up, thus maintaining the structural integrity of the foam core. The corners will be reinforced with hot glue and aluminum tape to enhance the structure strength and help with maintaining insulation. The cube and camera will be attached to the servo on one side and a bearing on the other. Through the center of the satellite will be a PVC pipe, 5 millimeters in diameter. Through this pipe will run a cord, which will connect the Monstar balloonsat to the balloon and other balloonsats. The cord will be 2.5 millimeters in diameter and will be knotted above and below the balloonsat to insure the satellite does not "slip." By using the tube, we will be able to provide insulation on the interior of the satellite using the provided foam insulation. There will be no attempt to reduce friction between the cord and the balloonsat because the friction is needed to rotate the balloonsat in the x-plane. This way, we will be able to get pictures from 360 degrees about the y-axis. The estimated rotation of the balloonsat is about 10 rotations per minute based on previous balloon sat data.

The camera will be external and mounted on a metal bracket attached to the main part of the balloonsat. On one side, the bracket will attach to the servo that will be rotating it. On the other, the camera will be attached to a bearing, which will allow it to rotate with minimal friction. The camera will have a layer of insulation between it and the bracket. On the inside of our balloonsat there will be a 1 cm layer of the provided insulation. The electrical components will be inside of this insulated area. The insulation will also provide a cushioning for the electrical components during landing. To heat our balloonsat we will use one heater. The camera will not have a heater. Instead, the camera will be covered in insulation in order to keep the cold away from the camera. The heater will be in the center the satellite and will be surrounded by electrical components and the batteries to ensure the functionality of said components during the entirety of the mission. There will be no direct contact between the heater and the electrical components or batteries.

For ease of explaining specific positioning, we will assume the center of the back wall is the origin and that the camera is 15cm on the positive z-axis. The center of the left wall of foam core (the wall to the right of the camera when facing the lens) will be 6cm on the x-axis. The right wall, (the wall opposing the left wall) will be 6cm on the x-axis. The flight string will be along the y-axis. As mentioned earlier all walls will be covered by 1.25cm of foam insulation, which will also act as a harness for all electrical equipment.

Functional Block Diagram:

(9 V BatterySwitch 2Arduino UnoServo9 V BatterySwitch 1Arduino Pro 328Digital CompassMemory on Arduino9 V Battery9 V Battery9 V BatterySwitch 3HeaterHOBOInternal TempExternal TempCamera)

(Delayed Start)

Diagram 1:

This diagram shows the balloonsat Monstar when it is completed and ready for launch.

(Digital Compass) (Camera) (Arduino) (Servo) (Heater) (Batteries)

Diagram 2: (Key on next page)

This diagram shows the balloonist’s basic dimensions and that all of its components fit inside he given amount of space. Changes in layout were made during manufacturing as needed.

(xyz)

Key:

Yellow - HOBO

Purple - Batteries

Light Blue – Micro Controller

Red - Heater

Green – Digital Compass

Black - Servo

Dark Blue – Camera Box

Diagram 3:

This diagram shows the dimensions of Monstar and how the HOBO, heater, batteries, and digital compass fit inside of the balloonsat.

(.114 m.114 m23 cm.23 m.03 m.14 m.09 m.11 m.23 m.17 m.23 m.14 m.03 m.09 m.03 m.03 m.11 mStamp/Digital CompassHOBOHeaterBatteries)

4.0 Management:

Management will be presided over by Bridget. She has devised the budget plan and time schedule and will be in charge of enforcing them. While it is technically her job to make sure we don’t overspend our budget, each team member is personally responsible to keep time, budget and material constraints in mind when building and testing the balloonsat.

Yellow- on time

Red- over due

Blue- yet to be done

Schedule:

GATEWAY TO SPACE FALL 2010DESIGN DOCUMENT

September 16, 2010

2

GATEWAY TO SPACE FALL 2010DESIGN DOCUMENT

GATEWAY TO SPACE FALL 2010DESIGN DOCUMENT

21

09/16 Proposal Due/ Conceptual Design Presentation Due

09/21 Order Hardware/ ATP Appointment

09/21 Team Meeting (TM)

09/23 TM

09/28 TM

09/30 TM

10/05 Critical Design Review

10/05 Design Document Rev. A/B Due

10/05 Start Prototype Structure

10/07 Critical Design Presentation Due

10/07 TM

10/09 Prototype Structure Complete

10/09 Whip test, drop test and staircase test

10/12 TM

10/12 Final Design Complete

10/14 TM

10/19 TM

10/19 Subsystem construction complete

10/21 TM

10/25 Balloonsat construction complete

10/26 Pre-launch Inspection

10/26 TM

10/28 In Class Mission Simulation

10/28 TM

11/02 Design Document Rev C and LRR Slides Due

11/02 TM

11/04 TM

11/05 Final Balloonsat Weigh In and Turn In.

11/06 Launch

11/09 TM

11/16 TM

11/30 Final Presentations Due

12/04 Design Document Rev D Due

12/04 Design Expo

12/07 Balloonsat Hardware Turn In

Organizational Chart:

(Team ManagersBenPaulManagement (Cost, time, weight)Attitude determination and magnetic compassStructureMechanismsProgramming/HOBOOrganization of SatelliteBridgetMeganJamieShaneTaylor)

Team Descriptions:

Ben Azlein – Ben is from Thornton, Colorado. He did the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in high school, and designed and fabricated a functioning jet engine for his Personal Project during the program. He has been learning engineering related concepts and ideas even as far back as his Lego days. He has a fascination with structures and all of the concepts and ideas involved in building a spacecraft. He is enthusiastic about everything related to space (especially human spaceflight) and is motivated and willing to devote everything necessary to Team Space Jam. Contact him at (303)-718-9772, and you can find him in Aden Hall room 218.

Bridget Chase – Bridget is from Colorado Springs, Colorado. She took PLTW courses throughout high school and has also worked on several engineering projects. She has knowledge of electronics and creative ideas to make Space Jam’s balloonsat original and unique. She hopes to use her experience to help create a balloonsat that will perform to the standards of Team Space Jam. Contact her at (719)-351-4403, and you can find her in Aden Hall room 126.

Paul Guerrie – Paul is from Parker, Colorado. He has been interested in human space flight for a very long time. He also has an extensive hands-on background in many engineering projects based classes. He is ready to help manage, run and contribute to the team with a good leadership background and the motivation to make anything happen. Paul would be happy to answer any questions and is accessible at (303)-999-6338 or at 9002 Buckingham Hall, Boulder, Colorado, 80310.

Taylor King – Taylor, a soccer player and peer counselor, from Standley Lake High School in Westminster, Colorado. She is an Aerospace Engineering major at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Taylor joins Team Space Jam excited to gain experience and build a balloon satellite. Her phone number is (303)-916-8288, living on the second floor of Darley North, room 234, in Boulder, Colorado, 80310.

Shane Meikle – Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Shane is joining the team with his down to earth attitude, ready to get work done. Shane brings a background of teamwork from 14 years of soccer. He is ready to work and negotiate with his other team members to get the mission complete. He is able to answer any questions about the mission at (310)-773-1580. You can also find him in the basement of Baker Hall at 9097 Baker Hall, Boulder, CO 80310.

Megan Scheele – While a rookie at satellite building, Megan comes in from Westminster, Colorado with an IB diploma and an impressive background in building trebuchets, bottle rockets and impenetrable snow forts. A freshman in Aerospace Engineering, Megan looks to help propel Team Space Jam to the stars. Able to answer any questions about the team or project, she welcomes all calls at 303-895-8095. If written or face-to-face communication is easier, she can be found in room E134 at 9117 Andrews Hall, Boulder CO 80310

Jamie Usherwood – Jamie is originally from Springfield, Illinois. Jamie was an officer in Aviation Exploring Post 731 based out of the Springfield Airport. Jamie has also logged time flying as well as been introduced to certain mechanical components of aircraft at the Oshkosh Airventure Aviation Show. Jamie has prior knowledge in software programming and electrical components. He may be reached at (217)622.5445. Jamie’s dorm room and address are 221 at 9030 Cockerell Hall, Boulder CO 80310.

Safety:

The safety of the team is a high concern, therefore every member will use such precautions such as gloves and safety goggles.  It will also be mandatory for each team member to be fully trained on any equipment they are using.  When using equipment, there will always be more than one team member present to insure safety.  During testing, such as whip testing and drop testing, team members will maintain a 5 meter distance from the satellite unless directly involved in the testing.  When handling the dry ice used for freeze testing, proper gloves and cooler will be used.  Most importantly, each team member is personally responsible to use common sense when building and testing to protect his/herself and the other team members.

5.0 Budget:

Budget management will be presided over by Bridget. She will be the liaison between the team and Chris.

Mass Budget:

Current Estimate:

Original Estimate:

Item

Mass (g)

HOBO

30

Canon A570IS Digital Camera

200

Heater Systems (2)

100 (each)

Solar Panels (6)

4.54 (each)

Servo Motor (2)

13 (each)

Digital Compass

5

Barometer

1

Switches

5 (each)

Structure Weight

104

Micro Controller

5

Reserve Battery

45

Total

~658.24

Item

Mass (g)

HOBO

30

Canon A570IS Digital Camera

200

Heater System with Batteries

145

Servo Motor

40

Digital Compass

5

Switches

10 (each) 30 (total)

Structure Weight

50

Micro Controller 1

8

Micro Controller 2

7

Metal Bracket and Bolts

100

Batteries for Micro Controllers

90

Flight Tube

20

Wires

11

Total

~736

Money Budget:

Item

Quantity (Original)

Price (Original)

Company (Original)

Quantity (Final)

Price (Final)

Company (Final)

Camera

1

Provided

Provided

1

Provided

Provided

HOBO

1

Provided

Provided

1

Provided

Provided

2 GB Memory Card

1

Provided

Provided

N/A

N/A

N/A

16 GB Memory Card

N/A

N/A

N/A

1

Donated

Professor Koehler

Heater

1

Provided

Provided

1

Provided

Provided

Batteries

10

Bought by team

Bought by team

10

Bought by team

Bought by team

Foam Core (140mm x 140mm x 10mm)

1 Sheet

Provided

Provided

1 Sheet

Provided

Provided

Solar Panels

6

$2.65 (each)

$15.90 (total)

Silicon Solar

12 (not needed, donated to Space Grant

$31.80

Silicon Solar

Servo Motor(s)

2

Donated

ITLL Shop

1

$25

SparkFun

Switches

3

$4 (each)

Radio Shack

3

Donated

ITLL Shop

Digital Compass

1

$150

SparkFun

1

$150

SparkFun

Barometer

1

$40

SparkFun

N/A

N/A

N/A

Styrofoam

Recycled

Recycled

N/A

N/A

N/A

Aluminum Tape

Provided

Provided

Provided

Provided

Insulation

Provided

Provided

Provided

Provided

Micro Controllers

N/A

N/A

N/A

2

$29.95 & $19.95

$49.87 (total)

SparkFun

Metal Bracket

N/A

N/A

N/A

1

Donated

Mr. Azlein

Total

$236.80

$256.67

6.0 Test Plan and Results

Test Plan:

There will be multiple tests on each subsystem individually and then combined in final tests. The tests administered will be drop tests, whip tests, freeze tests, condensation tests, staircase tests, compass test, motor test, and camera test. These tests will be administered with rocks inside our prototype satellite in order to simulate mass inside of our satellite. Attaching rocks of similar mass of our camera at the front and for our other components with hot glue; we will be able to determine the center of gravity for the placement of the string through our satellite.

The drop test will consist of dropping the balloonsat off of a balcony or second story to the ground below to test structure endurance both generally and for landing. By doing this test, we will be able to make adjustments to the structure to ensure maximum stability and strength. This test will also allow for us to see how our components may be affected during landing, so we can make proper adjustments to strengthen these specific areas.

For the staircase test, the balloon sat will be rolled down a staircase. This will test the structure of the satellite and simulate landing. By doing this test with the correct mass inside our prototype, we will be able to determine if structural reinforcements may be needed for our subsystems in order to ensure a successful retrieval of data.

For the whip test, a cord will be threaded through the balloonsat and then a team member will vigorously swing the satellite around on it, in order to emulate flight. This will test the attachment of the balloonsat to the PVC pipe and also to test the ability for the balloonsat to withstand the force and strain of flight. The rocks inside our prototype satellite will simulate our mass of our components and this test will allow us to test how our components need to be fastened. Such as how our servo motors will be attached to our satellite.

A freeze test will be administered to the subsystems to check that all systems can work with the cold temperatures to be expected. Condensation tests will be done in accordance with the freeze tests to ensure that no condensation will prevent electronics from working, and to make sure that the camera has a clear opening to take pictures from. This will also be used to check the thermodynamics subsystem. The freeze test will also test the functionality of our servo motor to work in a cold environment. This test will also check the capability of the motor to be able to operate efficiently above negative 10 degrees Celsius. By running our servo motor in the freeze test, our team can determine specific insulation changes that may need to be made in order to maintain the servo motor’s functionality throughout our flight.

The compass and motor tests will be run in order to test if the compass will receive accurate readings according to which direction it is pointing and the motor will work properly in rigorous conditions. This test will require spinning the satellite about a rope. The camera test will take place in order to check that the time intervals that the camera is taking pictures and compare it to the spinning velocity of the motor to make sure we can accurately only take pictures of the environment around us instead of taking pictures of the satellite itself, which is not needed.

Structural Testing:

There were three main tests for the structural subsystem. The first was the whip test. Rocks were hot glued inside the structure to simulate the mass of the electrical components. The whip test was administered by Shane, and was conducted for about 5 minutes. There was no structural damage from the whip tests, and since there was no sound of loose rocks inside the balloonsat, it was concluded that all the rock remained glued in place.

The next structural test was the drop test, administered by Taylor. The same rocks were used in the drop test. This test was performed three times. The balloonsat was damaged slightly. There were some breaks in the edges of the balloonsat, and it was determined that the next structure would use additional hot glue on the edges. The wooden dowl attached to a large rock so simulate the camera also broke, but it was also decided that the camera would be attached to something sturdier than the wood used to simulate the bracket. Because loose rocks could be heard rattleing around in the balloonsat after the drops, it was determined that the electrical components would have to be attached to the balloonsat more securely, or should have some cushioning to make sure no damage is taken during landing.

The final structural test was the staircase test and was administered by Megan. The balloonsat sustained some damage, mainly on the “arms” that were sticking out to hold the camera between them. They cracked some, but when the arms were wiggled by hand, they did not seem in danger of falling off. It was determined that extra aluminum tape would be used right where the arms branched off of the main compartment of the balloonsat. Rocks that shook loose also emphasized the conclusion that the electrical components needed to be secured better than simply using hot glue.

Functional and Freeze Testing:

(Digital Compass Data – Functional TestCurrent heading: 103.6 degreesCurrent heading: 259.0 degreesCurrent heading: 82.0 degreesCurrent heading: 118.2 degreesCurrent heading: 105.9 degreesCurrent heading: 25.0 degrees)The functional test went well. The balloonsat was hung from a tree and left for approximatly 50 minutes to assure that the camera was functioning. The camera was determined to be functioning because it took video at the prescribed times. The servo was verified by eye that it was working. Upon opening up the balloonsat, it was verified that the heater was also working. After hooking up the HOBO and the digital compass to a computer, data was extracted, and it was also determined that both were working correctly. The digital compass data showed its current heading and its accuracy was checked qualitativley. It was determined that the balloonsat was ready for a freeze test.

(Temperature (degrees C)) (Internal Temperature of Freeze Test) (Time)For the freeze test, the balloonsat was put in a cooler with 10 pounds of dry ice. Everything was assumed to be turned on. After one hour, 45 minutes, the sound of the servo working could no longer be heard through the cooler. The freeze test was abandoned, and the balloonsat was removed from the cooler an hour early. The digital compass and the HOBO were still functioning, but nothing else was (the cooler was moved for sake of the digital compass). The heater wasn’t working, and it appeared that the camera had never been turned on. Upon reviewing the HOBO data, it showed that the internal temperature went as low as 3.3 degrees Celsius and the external -7 degrees Celsius. This was not cold enough to confirm that our servo and camera would work in a near space environment. A second cold test was implemented with more than twice as much dry ice for just the servo and the camera. In the test the camera was functional and the servo worked properly the entire two hours. It was concluded that the heater failed in the first test, and wasn’t able to adequatly heat the balloonsat. As a result, the batteries failed and couldn’t continue to run the servo. While the camera didn’t work, it was visually confirmed that condensation was a problem and will have to be addressed if any video is to be expected at higher altitude.

(Digital Compass Data – Freeze TestCurrent Heading: 282.1 degreesCurrent Heading: 310.5 degreesCurrent Heading: 259.4 degreesCurrent Heading: 276.0 degreesCurrent Heading: 185.9 degreesCurrent Heading: 172.6 degreesCurrent Heading: 131.8 degreesCurrent Heading: 130.8 degrees)

7.0 Excepted Results

In Team Space Jam’s mission, we will be using a servo motor in order to put our camera into motion in the y-plane (or rotation about the x-axis). Throughout this time we will also be recording temperature inside and outside of the balloonsat and humidity inside of the balloonsat using the HOBO. Our servo motor will be in constant rotation during flight spinning about the x-axis back and forth 180 degrees, while our satellite is naturally spinning about the y-axis due to the string. From previous flight’s data it is expected that the balloonsat will spin about the flight string at about 10 revolutions per second.

Our team hopes to create a full panoramic picture of the earth through our experiment. Our design can be used in future scientific experiments to allow data to be recorded in all directions. In order to figure out the exact orientation of our camera for every picture taken, we will be syncing our camera with a digital compass and matching the time stamps of the digital compass with our camera. The servo will be programmed so that the camera will never take photos of the balloonsat itself. Instead, the camera will only take pictures of the earth, space and the balloon and flight string.

When our experiment is successful, we will have plenty of accurate pictures in every direction to edit together and create a nearly full panoramic picture of the view from our satellite. When a full panoramic picture is achieved it will allow us to understand how our subsystems and mechanics worked properly throughout the duration of the flight. This surplus of pictures will prove the success of our design. This would allow potential scientific research experiments in the future to replace the camera with a scientific instrument to record data in every direction.

From our HOBO it is expected that the temperature will generally decrease with the coldest points occurring in the tropopause. The humidity is expected to decrease with increasing altitude.

Data Retrieval:

For the data retrieval of Team Space-jam’s project Monstar, it is important to note that our camera and microcontroller (which controls our digital compass) are activated by switches. When we turn these switches on before launch, our team will record the exact time that they were turned on, thus we will be able to match the data from the gps, our microcontroller and our camera. This will allow us to give every single picture we have a specific orientation and altitude. This is crucial for putting our photos together using Preview (computer photo editing software) for a panoramic picture after the flight. In order to retrieve our data we will have our systems (camera and microcontroller with digital compass) continuously recording data during the flight and we will simply turn off the switches after we find our satellite. Afterwards we will be able to download all of our data that we got during the flight to a computer using boxcar for the HOBO, an SD card reader for the camera and a mini usb cable for the compass, and begin patching all of the data (altitude/orientation) together and connecting it to the photos.

8.0 Launch and Recovery

Launch will be at 7:40 am, on November 6th, 2010. All members of Team Space Jam will be present and participate in recovery, along with Bridget Chase’s parents. The payload is to be turned in to Professor Koehler on Friday at 10:30 am, at which time it is to be sealed and in working condition. Jamie Usherwood will be the team member responsible for holding the balloon satellite before it is launched into near-space. Before launch, everything with the payload seemed to be working fine except that the servo was being affected minimally by the cold, causing an interruption in its rotation of the camera. The payload was lifted into the air without problem, climbing to over 100,000 ft and then plummeting to an area east of Windsor. The GPS unit attached to the end of the flight string was used to communicate with two tracking systems positioned in the lead SUV where there were skilled personnel armed with detailed maps who then located the balloon and payloads. To retrieve the satellite after burst, Team Space Jam waited for the all-clear and then trekked through a field abundant in cacti, dashed across a raging river, and hiked up a steep mountain where the payload was found in good condition, with only minor structural damage to the corners. The switches on the satellite were in the on position and the servo and heater appeared to have been working, however, when the camera was turned on to make sure our data was on there, a message popped up reading “memory-card full”, but without any video at all to show for the 2 hour flight.

9.0 Results, Analysis, and Conclusions

The results of our balloonsat are not as expected. Aboard the balloonsat there were three data recording devices. There was a HOBO, a camera and a digital compass. The HOBO and digital compass functioned great. The camera however did not.

Digital Compass:

Our compass showed that our balloonsat rotated 360 degrees as expected due to the natural rotation of the flight string. A problem occurred however. In our programming we did not account for how often the compass recorded data compared to how much flash memory we had. The compass took data every second until it was full which lasted 250 seconds. In the future we will add more memory so that the compass will be able to take and record data for the entire flight up to burst.

Degrees on the y-axis and time in seconds on the x-axis.

Servo:

Our servo failed due to temperature. One heater was not able to keep it warm enough to function. The servo got so cold that it was permanently damaged and wont work even at room temperature. Upon taking apart the servo we discovered that there were large spots of grease that had solidified preventing the servo from functioning properly.

HOBO:

Our HOBO worked perfectly. The data received is exactly as expected and fits our predictions. The internal temp shows that our balloon sat temperature did not get below -35 degrees Celsius. Our team is happy with this result considering that our HOBO was as far away from our heater as it could be.

Internal Temperature:

External Temperature:

Relative Humidity:

(Tropopause)

Camera:

After landing we discovered that our camera had not taken any video as it had been programmed. The camera had originally been programmed as follows: Upon start up it would reset all the settings to default. It would then cycle through the menu to change the power settings. To do this it would click menu. Click right. Then click down eleven times. In between each ‘click down’ the camera was programmed to sleep for one second. This was so it could keep up with itself and no commands would be skipped. While testing the camera, this part of the programming worked. However, the ‘start up’ portion of the test was not done in the cold. We did not account for it being cold while the camera was starting up which especially affected our camera since it was outside of our box. The cold caused the camera’s processor to slow down which in turn caused some commands to be skipped. When a few of the ‘click down’ commands were skipped the camera landed on the ‘format’ function instead of the ‘power settings’ functions. When the camera formatted itself it deleted all of its programming and stopped running the script. This caused no video to be taken.

10.0 Ready for Flight

In order to prepare for flight, our team made certain precautions to our satellite that would make it easier to launch on launch day. For example, we positioned our switches on an easily accessible part of the box that would allow us to turn them on and secure them in the on position with tape. In addition to this, we had attempted to do testing that would simulate the conditions on launch day. For example we ran our camera program with the 16gb card in the cold test for around two hours (longer than the camera had storage for) and we replicated the spinning motions by hanging the box from a tree and simulating the spinning motion while our camera recorded video. Our camera and servo system worked perfectly through all of these tests, which made our group assume that our box was ready for launch. However, based on our lack of video from launch day, I was led to the conclusion that our group did not sufficiently test the systems of the camera. In our testing, it must be noted that the heater had time to warm up before the camera was turned on, whereas on launch day the heater was trying to warm up in a cold environment. In addition to our preparation of our systems, our team was careful to duct tape all seams of the box and cover them with aluminum tape which allowed us to ensure that the box would survive any possible dragging motion that could occur upon landing. In final preparation, our group tested all switches and their functions (although this was done inside of room with an average temperature), made sure that the flight tube was secured (with the washer hot-glued to the box), and made sure that all wires inside of the box were secured and held in place with electrical tape.

11.0 Conclusions and Lessons Learned

Because the camera did not record, it’s unclear whether the servo behaved as expected. However, because the servo was not working upon recovery, it is assumed that it did not function properly throughout the entire flight. Because the servo passed all tests prior to flight, it was concluded that the servo did not work because it was not adequately warm upon start up. In the future, the heater will have to be turned on 5 to 10 minutes before other components are turned on. In was concluded that the camera didn’t work due to cold temperatures upon start up. Therefore, in the future, if the launch occurs in a cold temperature, the camera should be kept warm beforehand, to ensure this failure doesn’t happen again. However, the digital compass worked as expected, and took degree headings with the 0 degree mark due north. Each reading was one second apart, and because the exact time was recorded as to when the digital compass was turned on, a time stamp could be placed with each reading. In conclusion, the camera and servo did not function properly due to cold temperatures upon start-up, but the digital compass worked as expected.

12.0 Message to Next Semester

The best advice I can give you is to speak up in your group. Team work is essential and nearly all of your work will be done with at least one other member of your team so if you don’t speak up, whether it’s for clarification or for input, then you won’t be happy with the work and the end result. Compromise is the key to a successful satellite. Also, time is the enemy. Do not procrastinate. This class is easy if you do not procrastinate.

Digital Compass Data

degree17.06.068.0130.0194.070.0132.0196.08.016.078.0140.0204.0155.0131.086.0148.0212.024.069.058.0120.0184.089.027.0215.0151.079.0141.0205.026.088.0214.0150.0149.025.087.0213.03.065.0127.0191.04.066.0128.0192.020.082.0144.0208.019.081.0143.0207.05.09.028.033.034.035.036.037.038.039.040.059.060.061.062.067.071.090.095.096.097.098.099.0100.0101.0102.0121.0122.0123.0124.0129.0133.0138.0152.0157.0158.0159.0160.0161.0162.0163.0164.0180.0185.0186.0187.0188.0193.0197.0216.0221.0222.0223.0224.0225.0226.0227.0228.055.0117.0181.029.091.0153.0217.030.092.0154.0195.0218.015.077.0139.0203.021.083.0145.0209.056.0118.0182.013.075.0137.0201.093.011.073.0135.0199.012.074.0136.0200.010.072.0134.0198.0202.02.064.0126.0190.018.080.0142.0206.0179.0243.0210.084.0146.022.014.076.085.0147.023.0211.032.094.0156.0220.052.0114.0176.0240.050.0112.0174.0238.054.0116.0178.0242.053.0115.0177.0241.049.0111.0173.0237.057.0119.0183.048.0110.0172.0236.01.063.0125.0189.047.0109.0171.0235.041.0103.0165.0229.046.0108.0170.0234.031.0219.07.051.0113.0175.0239.044.0106.0168.0232.045.0107.0169.0233.042.0104.0166.0230.043.0105.0167.0231.0-327.1-322.5-322.5-322.5-322.5-309.6-309.6-309.6-304.3999999999996-268.3999999999996-268.3999999999996-268.3999999999996-268.3999999999996-207.6-163.2-86.6-86.6-86.6-86.4-81.7-81.6-81.6-81.6-63.9-63.7-63.7-63.5-43.4-40.8-35.6-35.5-35.5-35.5-35.3-17.8-17.6-17.5-17.0-2.7-2.7-2.7-2.7-2.6-2.6-2.6-2.6-2.2-2.2-2.2-2.1-1.7-1.6-1.6-1.60.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.10.10.10.20.20.20.20.40.40.40.40.40.6000000000000010.6000000000000010.6000000000000010.6000000000000011.61.61.61.62.32.32.32.62.62.62.610.412.712.712.712.712.912.912.912.913.013.013.013.017.217.417.617.617.724.724.724.724.825.025.025.125.225.325.440.640.644.144.344.544.776.076.076.076.082.082.082.082.0103.6103.6103.6103.6105.9105.9105.9105.9118.0118.2118.2118.2130.8130.8130.8130.8130.9130.9130.9131.8131.8131.8131.8170.7170.7170.7170.7172.6172.6172.6172.6185.3185.3185.3185.3185.9185.9185.9185.9225.8232.6246.8259.0259.0259.0259.0259.3999999999996259.3999999999996259.3999999999996259.3999999999996276.0276.0276.0276.0281.1282.1282.1282.1310.5310.5310.5310.5