Final Presentation

Nick HoffmannMiranda Rohlfing

Geoff Morgan

Miles BuckmanLauren WennerRahul Devnani

December 5, 2006

Mission Overview - Objective

Our team’s mission is to send a balloon satellite to an altitude of 100,000 feet in order to have it

1) Take still photographs

2) Make a digital recording of the flight

3) Measure the radiation levels of the upper atmosphere.

Mission Overview - Goals

What we hope to accomplish is:

1) Obtain a visual record of near space and Earth from high altitude.

2) Discover how the radiation levels change at higher altitudes.

Mission Overview - Flight

The flight was very successful overall. All of our components worked as intended and we obtained valuable results.

The digital video camera took over an hour of flight footage

The still camera used all of its exposures and returned amazing photographs.

Design – Block Diagram

RadiationBadges

Video Camera

Power (23A)

Timing Circuit

Still Camera

Switch

Heater

Power (9V)

Switch

HOBO

Int. Humidity

Int. Temperature

ExternalTemperature

Dosimeter

We flew two cameras and three different radiation sensors along with the standard equipment

Both cameras functioned properly and returned outstanding footage of the flight

The radiation equipment survived with room to spare, but data has not yet been received.

The experiment was designed to measure low-orbit radiation in order to compare it with that of ground level radiation

Design – Experiment

Structure- 18 x 18 x 18 (cm) 555 timer- 4 x 6 x 0.1HOBO- 6 x 2 x 4 Batteries- 4 x 4 x 1Radiation sensors- 8 x 6 x 0.1 Still camera- 8 x 6 x 4Heater- 4 x 4 x 1 Video camera- 4 x 3 x 1

RFP ComplianceMass– we were slightly over the allotted 800g, ≈870g

Video Camera- the video camera was changed to look at Earth rather than the balloon

Structure- the box was not painted as there was no need

Testing- the satellite was not vacuum tested

Experiments- the pressure sensor was not flown

All other requirements were met

Results and Analysis - HOBO

The HOBO had a faulty external temperature sensor that needed to be replaced.

Predicted external temperature values were in the realm of -60°C

The internal temperature followed predicted highs and lows

Temperature Data

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

7:12:00 7:40:48 8:09:36 8:38:24 9:07:12 9:36:00 10:04:48 10:33:36

Time

Temp

eratur

e (Ce

lsius

)

Internal External

Results and Analysis - Cameras

Video length 58 minutes of flight time; the extreme cold drained the power from the batteries.

The culprit is suspected to be a panel that sealed off the camera from the rest of the satellite

The still camera took pictures every 3 minutes and took its last photograph at about 80,000 feet

The Continental Divide

Sun and Earth from approximately 70,000 feet

Last photo taken at about 80,000 feet

Results and Analysis - RadiationUnfortunately our radiation data was lost by the postal system and was not returned to Global Dosimetry for development.

The radiation level was expected to increase exponentially as the altitude increased

Altitude

RadiationLevel

Ready to Fly - Correction

Video Camera-Change batteries-Remove extra panel-Move the heater closer

HOBO-Change the HOBO-Use a different external temperature

probe.

Ready to Fly - Storage

Temperature extremes, direct sunlight, moisture, etc. should all be avoided during storage

The batteries and film inside the components should be removed and reinstalled prior to launch

None of the components will wear out if unused

New badges should be kept in the shipping material until use

Ready to Fly - Activation

One side panel should be left open to activate the video camera

After the video camera is activated the open side needs to be sealed with aluminum tape.

Right before launch the two switches that control the heater and still camera should be activated

The radiation sensors do not require activation

ConclusionsThe time required to build and test a functioning satellite is roughly one month with six team members taking an average of 15 credit hours

All electronics should be protected by the satellite structure as much as possible, even if cameras have to be tucked inside the box

Since two cameras were required for this satellite, the mass limit should be increased to allow for sufficient space for other experiments

Lessons Learned

Choose a simple design and structure

Be interested in your experiment

Be thorough in testing

Team work is essential and necessary

Contingency plans should be made whenever possible

Continuously communicate with all partners, team members and companies alike

Message to Next Semester

Start as soon as possible

Do not aim to high- be realistic

Research experiments as much as possible

Get a car with a lot of room and fill it to get a GPS on the chase.

Try to avoid oncoming semis