Gateway to Space ASEN/ASTR 2500 Fall 2007
Colorado Space Grant Consortium
Gateway to Space
Fall 2007
Design Document
Junk in a Box
Written by:
Frank Becky, Kyle Cummings, Jordan Haines, Villiam Klein, Matt Peoples, Ryan Scott & Aaron Young
9 November 2007
Revision C
Revision Log
Revision / Description / Date DueA / Conceptual Design Review / 4 October 2007
B / Preliminary Design Review / 17 October 2007
C / Critical Design Review / 9 November 2007
D / Analysis and Final Report / 29 November 2007
Table of Contents
Mission Overview…………………………..…………………………………….……….………4
Requirements Flow Down……………………..……………………………….………….……...4
Design……………………………………………..………………………………………………5
Management…...…………………………………….…………………………………………….8
Budget……….………………………………………….………………………………...……...10
Test Plan and Results……………………………………….…………………………………....10
Expected Results…………………………………………………………………………………12
Launch and Recovery Plan………………………………………………………………………12
Mission Overview
The purpose of our scientific missions are to prove that it is possible to capture pictures of the stars during the day while on a high altitude balloon that reaches an altitude of approximately 30 kilometers, and to measure the stability of the CCD camera on the stabilization ring on all three axes, specifically the horizontal x-axis. We plan to discover the minimum altitude during the day that stars become visible to a CCD camera and at what altitude high quality images of stars can be taken. With the accelerometer, we plan to discover the maximum amount of g-forces a BalloonSAT experiences during its flight.
Requirements Flown Down
Level 0-
Goal.1
Our BalloonSAT shall ascend to an altitude of approximately 30 km in order to take stabilized photographs of stars and measure g-forces acting on the satellite throughout the duration of the flight.
Objective.1
Construct a BalloonSAT capable of surviving ascent and decent to approximately 30 km, weighing no more than 800 grams and costing no more than 200 dollars by 9 November 2007.
Objective.2
Take and record photographs with minimal noise, from within the BalloonSAT, of stars throughout the duration of the flight, in order to discover at what altitude stars become visible.
Objective.3
Stabilize the camera throughout the flight in order to obtain stabilized pictures.
Objective.4
Measure the g-forces acting on the BalloonSAT, during the flight, on all three axes.
Level 1-
System / Requirement / Derived fromS.1 / The system shall ensure all other systems survive the flight, in working order, and ready to be flown again. / Objective.1
S.2 / The system shall maintain the internal temperature above zero degrees Celsius. / Objective.1
S.3 / The system shall capture photographs of the sky at least every five seconds, in order to discover at what altitude stars become visible. / Objective.2
S.4 / The system shall stabilize the camera relative to the movements of the BaloonSAT. / Objective.3
S.5 / The system shall measure g-forces on the x, y and z axes between zero and six g’s. / Objective.4
S.6 / The system shall ensure that photographs can be captured from within the BaloonSAT. / Objective.2
S.7 / The system shall include a light filter that should cancel out Raleigh scattering. / Objective.2
S.8 / This system shall ensure that all systems and subsystems requiring power are powered. / Objective.1
Level 2-
Subsystem / Requirement / Derived fromSS.1 / This subsystem shall be a structure made of foam core, plexiglass and an aluminum skeletal structure, that shall be strong enough to protect the internal systems. / S.1
SS.2-1 / This subsystem shall ensure that the internal temperature of the BalloonSAT remains above zero degrees Celsius by using foam insulation and electric heaters. / S.2
SS.2-2 / This subsystem will consists of a HOBO capable of measuring the internal temperature of the BalloonSAT between negative 40 and 40 degrees Celsius. / S.2
SS.3 / This subsystem shall be a CCD camera capable of capturing images at least every five seconds. / S.3
SS.4 / This subsystem shall be an audio/visual recorder capable of storing the image output of the CCD camera throughout the flight. / S.3
SS.5 / This subsystem shall consist of a ring suspended by strings from the swivel. / S.4
SS.6 / This subsystem shall be a swivel capable of independent rotation relative to the tube encompassing the string attached to the balloon. / S.4
SS.7 / This subsystem shall be an accelerometer capable of measuring g-forces on all three axes, and shall be mounted at the bottom of the BalloonSAT. / S.5
SS.8 / This subsystem shall be a pyramidal roof on top of the BalloonSAT, made of plexiglass. This ensures a 360 degree field of view for the CCD camera. / S.6
SS.9 / This subsystem will consist of red filter capable of blocking all light except light in the red spectrum. / S.7
SS.10 / This subsystem shall consist of a combination of 12 volt, 9 volt and lithium ion batteries to power the CCD camera, audio/visual recorder, accelerometer and heater. / S.8
Design
The shape of the BalloonSAT is a box, made of foam core, with a square pyramidal roof constructed out of single pane plexiglass. The plexiglass allows the CCD camera to have an unobstructed view of the sky while still maintaining structural support. The top area of the BalloonSAT will house the CCD camera mounted on a ring suspended by strings from a single swivel point at the top of the roof. The suspended ring and swivel point design will give the camera a stable platform to move independently from the rest of the structure, while stabilizing the CCD camera. However, if the box is tilted at too great an angle the ring will come in contact with either the inner wall or the central rope tube, leading to a loss of stability. The camera will be mounted at a 45 degree angle to the ring, allowing for an unobstructed view out of the plexiglass for an optimal view of the sky. The bottom section of the BalloonSAT will contain the HOBO, batteries, heater, CCD camera data recorder and accelerometer. The batteries, CCD camera data recorder, HOBO and heater will rest below the stabilization ring. The accelerometer is capable of surviving greater weather extremes, and thus will not need to be placed near the heater in order to remain functional, while the other subsystems will be located as close to the heater as possible.
The structure of the box will consists of dry wall cornering for the skeletal structure. The walls will be constructed out of foam core to provide light weight insulation and structural support. The plexiglass will be joined by corner joints and plexi adhesive. The very top piece that caps off the plexiglass will be a wood block, to provide a strong support for the camera stabilizing system. The center tube, housing the rope, will be a plastic tube.
The stabilizing system will consists of a ring onto which the CCD camera is mounted. The ring will be suspended from a swivel point at the apex of the roof allowing it to swing and rotate independently from the rest of the structure. There will be a dummy weight directly opposite of the camera to balance the ring.
Below are diagrams of components within our BalloonSAT (all measurements are in mm).
Functional Block Diagram (above)
The stabilizing ring will be suspended by strings, not pictured above, from a swivel attached to the wooden roof cap at a central point around the plastic tubing.
Management
Team Schedule-
Task / DateTeam Meeting (Norlin) / Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Request for Proposal / Thursday, 20 September 2007
Conceptual Design Review / Thursday, 20 September 2007
Hardware Acquisition / Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Monday, 1 October 2007
Prototype Design Completion / Monday, 1 October 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Design Document Revision A / Thursday, 4 October 2007
Design Review Completion / Sunday, 7 October 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Monday, 8 October 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Critical Design Review / Thursday, 11 October 2007
Hardware Order in Class / Thursday, 11 October 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Monday, 15 October 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Prototype Construction Completion / Saturday, 20 October 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Monday, 22 October 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Wednesday, 24 October 2007
First Whip Test / Wednesday, 24 October 2007
First Drop Test / Wednesday, 24 October 2007
First Stair Test / Wednesday, 24 October 2007
First Cold Test / Friday, 26 October 2007
Final Design Testing
(Whip, Drop, Stair and Cold retests) / Sunday, 28 October 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Monday, 29 October 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Final Design Completion / Sunday, 4 November 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Monday, 5 November 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Pre-Launch Inspection and
Launch Readiness Review / Thursday, 8 November 2007
LLR Cards and Design
Document Revision C due / Thursday, 8 November 2007
Final BalloonSAT Weigh-in
and Turn-in / Friday, 9 November 2007
Launch / Saturday, 10 November 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Monday, 12 November 2007
Team Meeting (Norlin) / Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Design Document Revision D due / Thursday, 29 November 2007
Final Team Presentations and Reports / Tuesday, 4 December 2007 (or)
Thursday 6 December 2007
Organizational Chart-
Team Member / PositionFrank Becky / Structure construction
Kyle Cummings / Electrical wiring, component installation video documenter
Jordan Haines / Satellite component testing and CAD designer
Viliam Klein / Electrical wiring and component installation
Matt Peoples / Electrical wiring and component installation
Ryan Scott / Structure construction and satellite launcher
Aaron Young / Satellite component testing and analysis
Budget
Financial-
Item / CostGlue, tape and binding material / $25.00
Structure / $25.00
Batteries / $30.00
CCD Camera / $100.00
Accelerometer / Free
Silicon Packs / Free
CCD Camera Recorder / Free
Total / $180.00
Mass-
Component / Weight (grams)Foam Core / 90.00
9 volt Battery (3) / 102.00
12 volt Battery for CCD camera / 25.00
CCD Camera / 96.00
CCD Camera Recorder / 35.00
HOBO / 29.00
CCD Camera stabilization ring / 20.00
Heater Circuit / 60.00
Accelerometer and Logomatic / 22.00
Internal Structure and Support / 100.00
Silicon Packs (5) & Insulation / 75.00
Total / 652.00
Test Plan and Results
Plan-
The first test to be performed on our BalloonSAT shall be the whip test. This test shall consist of attaching the BalloonSAT to a string and exerting centripetal force to simulate flight like conditions during the BalloonSAT launch and after the termination of the balloon. If the BalloonSAT structure remains intact after the completion of this test, this will ensure that the structure is adequate for flight. The BalloonSAT shall also carry simulated weight during the test in order to demonstrate flight like conditions.
The second test to be performed will be the drop test. This test shall be performed by releasing the BalloonSAT from a height of no less than fifteen meters. The BalloonSAT shall carry a simulated weight during the drop in order to simulate flight like conditions upon landing. If the BalloonSAT structure remains intact after the completion of this test, this will ensure that the structure is adequate for flight.
The third test to be conducted will be the stair test. This test will consist of the BalloonSAT being kicked down a flight of stairs. This will simulate the BalloonSAT being tumbled around during different duration of the flight. If the BalloonSAT structure remains intact after the completion of this test, this will ensure that the structure is adequate for flight.
The fourth test to be conducted will be the cold test. This test will consist of placing the BalloonSAT in an insulated container containing dry ice in order to simulate the below freezing temperature as a result of the high altitudes. The BalloonSAT will contain all of the subsystems. This is to ensure that all systems work while under the extreme conditions, and to ensure that all heat and insulation devices maintain the internal temperature at or above zero degrees Celsius. If the BalloonSAT’s subsystems remain active during this test, this will ensure that the heater and insulation are adequate for flight.
Other test to be conducted will include a test of the CCD camera and recording device to determine their functionality and limitations. Another test will include testing the CCD camera’s performance while being behind a plexiglass wall.
Results-
The drop test was successfully performed on 27 October 2007 at 8 am. The BalloonSAT was dropped from the second floor of the Discovery Learning Center on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus. Upon impact, one of the BalloonSAT’s corners was damaged. However, the damage was not significant enough to compromise the structural integrity of the BalloonSAT. From this, it was determined that the structure of the BalloonSAT is capable of withstanding the impact of the landing.
The stair test was successfully performed on 27 October 2007 at 8 am on the stairs between the first and second floors of the Discovery Learning Center on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus. The BalloonSAT suffered no damage during the stair test.
The whip test was successfully performed on 27 October 2007 at 8 am. After the BalloonSAT had been whipped around, it remained on the attached string. From this, it was determined that the structure was capable of withstanding the centripetal forces exerted on it.
The first cold test was performed on 31 October 2007. The BaloonSAT was placed in a cold chamber that brought the temperature to negative fifty degrees Celsius. On the cool down, there was a small amount of condensation that formed on the plexiglass. The heaters were able to keep the internal temperature above zero degrees Celsius for approximately thirty seven minutes. During the warming period, the level of condensation greatly increased to a level where the entire plexiglass window was covered in condensation. The second cold test, performed on the new BalloonSAT design on 6 November 2007, was more successful. The heaters were able to maintain the BalloonSAT’s internal temperature above zero degrees Celsius in the same chamber for a period of approximately fifty minutes. The amount of condensation that formed throughout the test was also greatly reduced. From the second test, it was determined that the design is capable of performing
The functional test was performed on 6 November 2007. All systems were powered and allowed to run for a period of two hours. This test also include the testing the CCD camera’s functionality behind the plexiglass window. From the test, it was determined that all the systems function together without any complications.
Expected Results
We expect that our CCD camera will have captured at least one picture of the stars by the time that it has reached the maximum altitude of 30 kilometers. We also expect 90 percent of our pictures taken during ascent to be quality, clear images as a result of the employed stabilization system. From the data, we expect to be able to determine the minimum altitude at which the stars become visible to the CCD camera during the day. We also expect that the number 25 red filter placed in front of the CCD camera will increase the quality and resolution of the captured stellar images. From the accelerometer, we expect to experience a minimum of five g’s during the decent of the BalloonSAT. On ascent, we expect to see that the accelerometer, attached to the stabilization device, will experience relatively less acceleration than the accelerometer attached to the box. We expect that our internal heaters will maintain the internal temperature at or above zero degrees Celsius.
Launch and Recovery
On Saturday, 10 November 2007, the team will meet in parking lot 436 on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus at 5 am. At 5:15 am, the team will depart to the launch site in Windsor, Co. Prior to launch, our team will inspect the BalloonSAT and prepare it for launch, ensuring that all systems are operating properly. Matt Peoples will be responsible for launching the team’s BalloonSAT at 7:30 am. After launch, Villiam Klein will be in one of the GPS equipped chase vehicles. The remaining team members will be following in either Frank Becky’s or Aaron Young’s vehicle. All team members will participate in the recovery of the BalloonSAT.
Junk in a BoxPage 1 of 139November 2007
Revision C