ASEN 1400 Gateway to Space

Honey Badger

ASEN 1400 Gateway to Space

Edge of Space BalloonSat Proposal

Team Honey Badger

NAME / ROLE / EMAIL / PHONE
Kyle Daniels / Team Leader, C+DH / / (720) 345–7646
Josh Whipkey / Power / / (303) 746 – 6922
Gabe Frank / Thermal & Structure / / (303) 791 – 8972
Logan Harrop / Thermal & Structure / / (972) 838 - 6901
Annie Kelly / C+DH / / (516) 581 – 5805
Jason Leng / Thermal & Structure / / (720) 320 – 9551
Zach McConnel / Budget & Science / / (303) 668 – 1704
Karyn Perdue / Science / / (312) 231 – 4735

Table of Contents

Page(s) / Contents and Information
1 / Cover page: team name, team members, individual’s role and contact information
2 / Table of contents: index of proposal’s information and its location.
3 / Mission Statement and Overview: objectives of proposal
4-7 / Technical Overview-
4 / Hardware
4 / Internal Subsystems
5 / Elaboration of internal subsystems
5-6 / Design(conceptual)
6 / Testing
6 / String attachment
7 / Retrieving data
7 / Safety
7-8 / Schedule
8 / Budget and budget plan

Mission Statement and Overview

The mission of team “Honey Badger” is to launch a low-cost balloon satellite to 30km to improve engineering of future satellites by conducting a study of the radiation levels at varying altitudes in Earth’s atmosphere and record video to further aid our data analysis.

Objectives:

Measure the intensity of radiation during the ascent.
Record video with sound to use as a visual comparison to our measured environmental data.
Measure environmental factors: temperature, pressure, and acceleration.
Meet all RFP requirements and stay within weight and budget restraints.

The satellite will determine the intensity of radiation from space in the atmosphere during the ascent until maximum altitude. The atmosphere’s gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone) absorb and/or reflect many radiation waves. Therefore, it is difficult to study radiation from the ground since most of it does not reach us.1 While the balloon satellite is at 30 km, it will be above ninety percent of the Earth’s atmosphere and will be able to read the amount of radiation hitting Earth. Radiation from space can alter atoms and molecules, which can cause damage to living cells. The information gathered from our satellite will be helpful for future missions that need to protect living organisms from radiation in space. In order to take accurate measurements, the satellite will hold a Geiger counter to record gamma, alpha, and beta radiation levels. We will study those levels in conjunction with the altitudes at the corresponding readings. We plan to find that the radiation levels will increase as the altitude increases.2

The satellite will record 2D video with sound during the entire mission to be used in conjunction with the gathered data to further develop our conclusions. We will use the GoPro Hero HD to take a video with sound. After the recovery of our satellite, the video will provide visual evidence for any changes we see in our other collected data. If the temperature, pressure or acceleration changes dramatically, we will have video and pictures to help determine what caused the deviation. The video of the satellite passing through each level of the atmosphere will be useful to understand the properties of each level.

The information gathered during our mission will provide understanding of what conditions a satellite endures as it travels through Earth’s atmosphere. This will help future spacecraft prepare for undesirable conditions and at what point in their mission they will experience them.

Works Cited:

1)Science Mission Directorate. "Introduction to The Electromagnetic Spectrum" Mission:Science. 2010. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 26 Sep. 2012 /ems/01_intro.html

2) . 29 May 2007.

Technical Overview

Hardware:

Honey Badger will complement its mission of gathering radiation readings during the ascent with the addition of one GoPro HD Hero camera. The HD Hero will record the visual environment at various altitudes in order to matchthe video footage with corresponding data of the atmosphere from the flight. To complete our BalloonSat in an organized and timely manner we plan to acquire all hardware by October 12, 2012. The HD Hero will either be donated or purchased directly from GoPro. The Geiger counter and LED lights will be purchased from sparkfun.com.

Internal Subsystems:

System 1’s primary function is to support the operation of HOBO. The HOBO data logger will be collecting data from an internal humidity sensor, an internal thermometer, and an external thermometer. A basic switch will turn HOBO on at the beginning of the flight and off at the end of the flight. HOBO will be programmed before launch using the Boxcar program. All data recorded on the flight will be logged by HOBO, and upon retrieval of Honey Badger, will be extracted.

System 2’s primary function is to support the operation of a GoPro HD Hero camera. The HD Hero will record high definition video in 720p for the duration of the flight. The HD Hero does not require power from an external source because it contains an internal, rechargeable lithium ion battery with a battery life estimated at 2 hr 30 min. It will be turned on shortly before launch, and will continue recording until retrieval. The HD Hero can store up to 4 hr 21 min of 720p video recording on an internal memory chip. Upon retrieval of Honey Badger, the video file will be extracted from the HD Hero.

System 3’s primary function is to support the operation of a small, internal heater. Three 9V alkaline batteries will power the heater. A basic switch will turn the heater on at launch and off upon retrieval of Honey Badger. The heater will stay running for the duration of the flight.

System 4’s primary function is to support the operation of an Arduino Uno microprocessor. Arduino will be programmed before launch using the Arduino computer program. Arduino will be on for the duration of the flight and will switch on/offadditional components attached to it. Arduino will be powered by two 9V lithium ion batteries. Attached to the Arduino will be an accelerometer, a Geiger counter, Servo, a simple LED light, and a switch connected to the power.

Design:

Testing:

All sensors and components will be put through vigorous testing prior to launch date. Multiple tests will be performed, such as stress tests on the structure of the satellite. The drop test will test the structure of the satellite. We will drop our design from various heights to make sure that all of the components and structure will survive the descent and final impact of the satellite on the ground. Another test we will be performing is the dry ice test. The satellite will be put into a cooler full of dry ice to test the thermal shield of every component. The whip test will help simulate the forces that the satellite will experience directly after the burst of the weather balloon. To perform this test we will attach the structure of our satellite to a string and whip the design around. This will make sure that the design can handle the forces that will act on it during reentry.

In addition, we will be testing the electrical components and the subsystems. We will perform tests to make sure that all the individual sensors are functioning properly. We will also test to make sure that all the subsystems are able to communicate with each other to ensure all tasks and operations will run smoothly.

All of our tests will be performed to ensure the safety of our satellite and all of its components. The environment we will be entering will require us to make sure to protect the structure of the satellite. All of the systems will be tested to ensure the best chance for mission success.

Attachment to the String:

To properly attach the payload to the balloon string, a plastic pipe will run through the center of Honey Badger. Its inner diameter is 4.6 mm. A 2.4 mm diameter nylon braided cord will be placed inside the tube. At both top and bottom, it is reinforced by washers (5.6 mm inner diameter, 22.4 mm outside diameter). Pins and figure-8 knots will dissipate pressure and prevent Honey Badger from disconnecting from the cord. A metal wire will cross the pipe to hold the cord more closely.

Retrieving Data:

The Geiger counter will be connected to the Arduino Uno and will record all of its data onto the 2GB SD card on the Arduino Uno. When the satellite is recovered, all of the data recorded by the Geiger counter and the other sensors will be imported from the SD card into a program that can graph our atmospheric readings into easily readable formats such as graphs. The audio and video recorded by the GoPro will also be imported for analysis in conjunction with the atmospheric reading at that time and altitude during the flight.

Safety:

To provide a safe environment for every team member, we will follow all safety guidelines. Members will use the safety materials required during testing and implementation of the BalloonSat. Protective equipment will be worn at all required times. Members will recognize when dangerous tasks are being performed and proceed with caution to ensure a safe environment.

Schedule

Date: / Agenda:
9/26/12 / Finalization of Proposal – finished design, schedules ect…
9/28/12 / Proposal Due 4 pm
10/1/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
10/2/12 / In Class: Conceptual Design Review
10/5/12 / Authority to proceed meeting
10/8/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
10/10/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
10/12/12 / Acquired all hardware
10/15/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
10/17/12 / Team Meeting: Prototyping Design Complete (7:30 pm)*
10/18/12 / In Class: Pre-Critical Design Review
10/22/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
10/24/12 / Team Meeting: Final Design Complete
10/31/12 / Team Meeting: Cold Testing, Whip testing, Drop testing
10/5/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
11/7/12 / Design Review
11/12/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
11/13/12 / In Class: Demo Of Mission
11/14/12 / Final adjustments opportunity
11/19/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
11/21/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
11/23/12 / Launch Review Readiness Presentation Creation
11/26/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
11/27/12 / In Class: LRR due, and presented in class
11/28/12 / Team Meeting (7:30 pm)*
11/30/12 / Final Balloon Sat Weigh In
12/1/12 / Launch Date

*Meeting location and end time TBD

Budget:

Item: / Source: / Quantity: / Value: / Cost:
GoPro Hero HD / gopro.com / 1 / $130 / $130 + S&H
Geiger Counter / sparkfun.com / 1 / $140 / $140 + S&H
LED lights / sparkfun.com / 2 / $1.50 / $3.00 + S&H
Dry Ice / CU chemistry store / 10lbs / $12.00 / $12.00
2 GB memory card / Gateway / 1 / $4.99 / $0
Temperature sensors / Gateway / 2 / $9.95 / $0
Pressure sensor / Gateway / 1 / $24.95 / $0
Accelerometer / Gateway / 1 / $11.95 / $0
Humidity sensor / Gateway / 1 / $16.95 / $0
Heater Kit / Gateway / 1 / N/A / $0
Switches / Gateway / 4 / $1.95 / $0
Foam Core / Gateway / TBD / TBD / $0
Lithium 9V Batteries / Gateway / 2 / $4.95 / $0
Alkaline 9V Batteries / Gateway / 3 / $1.95 / $0
Aluminum tape / Gateway / TBD / TBD / $0
Hot glue / Gateway / TBD / TBD / $0
Velcro / Gateway / TBD / TBD / $0
Insulation / Gateway / TBD / TBD / TBD

Budget Plan:

Allotted Budget: $250

Total Cost: $285

Budget issues will be handled between the leader Kyle Daniels and budget manager Zach McConnel with the input of the team if creative solutions are necessary. There is a possibility of a donated GoPro HD Hero 2 camera system. If donated, the price of the HD Hero will be subtracted from the total cost. The money that is required outside the original budget of $250 will be divided evenly amongst the team.

Team Honey Badger