Difference between revisions of "HSIS"

Revision as of 09:14, 30 March 2010

Overview

This page is for the ML256 members who are participating in the Hackerspaces In Space (HSIS) competition. We have a Mailing List!

Calendar

• March 29, 2010, 6:00pm: Build Meeting
• April 3, 2010, 8:00 - 16:00: First Test Launch and Recovery
• June 1, 2010: Official Contest Launch Window Opens
• August 31, 2010: Official Contest Launch Window Closes
• September 7, 2010: Deadline to Submit Results of Official Launch
• September 30, 2010: Announcement of Winners

Current Vehicle & Flight Specifications

• Total Value Cost of Flight Items: ?
• Payload Weight: 2 lbs
• Photography: ?
• Tracking: Boost Mobile Motorola i455 Phone
• Thermal Control: Two Hot Hands and a foam cooler
• Balloon & Lifting Gas: One 800g weather balloon with Helium
• Recovery System: Two 24"x24" parachutes
• Launch Site: New Market, AL (34.91, -86.43)
• Predicted Maximum Altitude: 91,863 feet (28 km)
• Predicted Lowest Temperature: -87 °F (-66 °C) between 60000 - 60500 feet
• Predicted Time of Flight: 02:24:20
• Predicted Landing Site: Blairsville, GA (34.88, -83.96)
• Predicted Score: ?

Status

2/22/10 Meeting

• Registered on the HSIS website.
• Omegix has confirmed drug stores no longer carry disposable digital cameras
• Have GPS Tracker
• Held first meeting on 2/22/2010

2/24/10

• Spacefelix contacted Bill Brown who does balloon launches. He has expressed interest in helping the project.

3/1/10

• Accepted invitation from HAL5 President, Yohan Lo to give a 5-minute interest presentation at the 3/4/10 7pm HAL5 Meeting. Will see if we can raise funds, interest, contributions of equipment and people.
• Finished initial design of balloon and payload and list of design considerations. Currently on drawing in the shop. Also have an initial shopping list and a target budget of $150.00. Will raise project money from Makers and HAL5.

3/4/10 HAL5

• HAL5 presentation by brimstone and omegix a success. Raised lots of positive interest in project.

3/5/10

• Event registration for competition has closed (ML256 is registered)
• Spacefelix contacted Jay on judge's duties and set up liaison. Also asked a few questions on the rules about minimum flight altitude requirements. Awaiting reply.
• Sourced cheap weather balloons and helium. Have e-mailed Bill for further information on how to size balloons and the necessary gas quantities for our flight.

3/6/10 Unclaimed Baggage

• Shopping trip to Unclaimed Baggage came up with lots of potential cameras that may be compatible with CHDK. Will need another trip to confirm this.

3/8/10 Meeting

• Ratmandu - GSM/GPS unit we had has a damaged capacitor on the power supply. At the very least it could be fixed by replacing the capacitor. But replacing the power supply altogether would be very difficult.
• Team decided to use omegix's cell phone as the GPS and camera unit. He has requested an $80.00 collateral in the event the payload is lost or damaged.
• In the meanwhile, omegix will be reprogramming his cell phone to take pictures and report GPS positions.
• Spacefelix has put out a recommendation that purchases for equipment start the week of 3/15 so we can meet our 4/3 1st launch goal.

3/15/10 Meeting

• We now have three cameras at our disposal (see available materials)
• Matt is taking the Boost Mobile phone to the store to get it working
• Next meeting will be a build meeting instead of a planning meeting

3/22/10 Build Meeting

• Matt got the phone working to report GPS position.
• Ethan, Rohan & Satyam got the parachute and gondola system working. Tested out several cheap parachute configurations and a foam cooler for a total payload weight of 2 lbs. (foam cooler gondola and two parachutes weigh 0.5 lbs., leaves 1.5 lbs. for electronics and heating elements). The best one has been two parachutes made out of the two sheet halves of a 30 gallon garbage bag with 2" diameter vent holes. Total estimated cost of gondola, parachutes, thermal control and insulation is $7.00.
• Have received link from Raymond on Jersey Balloon Launch. Using them as an example to follow for the development of our vehicle. They seem to have a very simple and lightweight setup.
• Omegix and Bender's measurements have the heaviest camera, cell phone, and charging cable weighing in at 0.7 lbs
• 03/22 night test resulted in a 4 hour battery life

3/26/10 T-8 Days to First Launch

• Spacefelix tagged up with PreauxPhoto on Helium status. He may be able to get us our helium in time for the 4/3 launch, but if not, we can push back the launch one week without issue.
• Spacefelix ordered two 800g weather balloons from Nova Lynx for $168.00 (cost is $69.00/ea). They will arrive on 4/2/10.

3/29/10

3/30/10

• J&M cylindar said we can purchase only the amount of helium we use (and no tank) if we're willing to launch from their Hartselle location.
  • Owner of the company is Joe: 566-2714
  • Launch time would be Saturday 9AM (we can reschedule this if we'd like)
  • Hartselle Location: 818 Hwy 31 SW, Hartselle, AL 35640
    • Next to the indoor/outdoor flea market

Future Actions

• 3/29 - Build session
  • Decide if we can commit to 4/3/10 first launch date.
  • Matt will test how long the cell phone battery will last at normal temperatures, then at freezing temperatures in a freezer. Need to have at least 4 hours of run life in both conditions for a two-hour flight (we may be able to go with as low as 3 hours of runtime).
  • Decide if we need to augment parachute system and get a higher location for drop testing.
  • Build up internal structure of gondola with camera window and EPP foam padding and insulation and thermal control.
  • Need to get the camera working.
  • Integrate and drop test whole system.
  • Perform simulated find test on ground.
  • Purchase weather balloons and helium lifting gas for a 2-lb. payload - ALREADY IN PROGRESS
  • Set up a wall retainer for storing pressurized gas cylinders.
• Presentation to 2600 on HSIS - Let's reuse the HAL5 presentation, but flesh it out with our recent progress.

Launch Site & Flight

Launch Site

• Looking at the local airspaces and to minimize the chances of us colliding with aircraft, the recommended launch site would be from New Market, AL (34.91, -86.43).
  • Looking at UAH Space Hardware Club's balloon launch, it seems this is not really that big of a concern since they launch directly under and fly through the C-Class airspace of Huntsville International Airport (HSV) and through E-class airspace of Redstone Army Airfield (HUA). I'm assuming this is because they do not fall under FAA Part 101 below or that they have a radio tracker.

Flight

• According to Balloon v1.0, we are exempt from FAA Part 101 regulations for balloon launches if we fall under the following limits:

1. Carries a payload package that weighs more than four pounds and has a weight/size ratio of more than three ounces per square inch on any surface of the package, determined by dividing the total weight in ounces of the payload package by the area in square inches of its smallest surface;
2. Carries a payload package that weighs more than six pounds;
3. Carries a payload, of two or more packages, that weigh a total of more than 12 pounds; or
4. Uses a rope or other device for suspension of the payload that requires an impact force of more than 50 pounds to separate the suspended payload from the balloon.

Contest Information

HSIS/Contest Information

Materials

Available Materials

• GNX-5 (rebranded as Guidepoint) GSM(cellphone)/GPS tracking device
  • Ratmando has the data sheet and pinouts of the current micro controller for this device. He's looking into replacing the micro controller with something like an ATMEGA644
• Ratmandu may have a camera
  • Brimstone found out that if we take a 1M picture every 10 seconds, that it will fill 7.5GB in 2.5 hours
  • We may be able to get cameras that work with CHDK at Unclaimed Baggage for less than retail cost.
• Omegix can volunteer his Android G1: HSIS/G1
  • Asking HSIS team to come up with $80 that I'll hold on to until we retrieve my phone (and keep if we don't).
    • The Little Buddy or the Boost Mobile solution would be cheaper, and just as easy Omegix 15:23, 11 March 2010 (CST)
• Opticron found his Boost Mobile Phone. This combined with a camera taking automated pictures and our electrical needs are met.
• Cameras
  • Bender
    • 8MP, $85. Confirmed that it works with the special firmware
    • 7.1MP, $55. Confirmed that it works with the special firmware
  • Omegix
    • 4MP, free. Will need CompactFlash memory if we want to find out about the firmware
• 1 Foam Cooler
• Several Hot Hands

List of Potential Materials - Source & Pricing

Depending on design, we may not need many of these materials:

• Weather Balloons
  • Use an 800 gram weather balloon from Nova Lynx. Gives a payload capacity of 2.5 lbs to 91,000 feet. Other smaller balloons are possible; a 500 gram balloon will bring a 2.5 lbs payload to 80,000 feet and a 300 gram will bring 1.3 lbs to 68,000 feet. Given that a contest rules state '[b]alloon camera must take pictures of the curvature of the earth with black space backdrop', and the minimum altitude to see the curvature of the Earth and the sky darken is 60,000 feet, the 300 gram balloon may barely be able to make a scoring flight.
• Lifting Gas - Helium or Hydrogen
  • Can be had from Air Liquide or our local Airgas shop: 191 Cochran Road Southwest, Huntsville, AL 35824-1105, (256) 772-5404‎
    • Helium K-bottle: $100
    • Hydrogen K-bottle: $54
    • K-bottle: $0.47 / day, $75 / year, or $325 to own
  • Preaux has a hookup at J&M cylinder in Decatur, AL:
    • "ok i got [hydrogren] for $19.85 for the fill and the bottle rental @ $6.50 for a month" ~preaux
    • "k-bottle i think will be TOO much, as it hold 489 cubic feet of hydrogen" ~preaux
    • For three flights of one 800 gram weather balloon each (inflated diameter of 6.2 feet and volume of 127.4 ft^3 from here), we will need 400 cubic feet of lifting gas (at 1 atm and 25 degrees centigrade, standard temperature and pressure). Preauxphoto said he will look into getting us enough gas. --Spacefelix 15:19, 24 March 2010 (CDT)
  • Safety Note:
    • For Helium, it is an inert gas, so no special safety precautions are required for its transport and storage. Hydrogen is flammable, so it must meet storage and transport safety standards for Argon gas (per Preauxphoto on 3/24/10). Omegix has also stated the people at Airgas said that there are no special safety requirements for transporting a K-bottle of hydrogen. Also, no more antics from the fire hooligans if we store hydrogen gas in the shop.
    • For storing gas under pressure in cylinders, certain safety standards must be met:
      • Bottles must be chained to a wall to prevent them from falling and breaking.
      • Proper ventilation to prevent injury or death in case of leaks.
      • Proper signage to indicate the potential hazards.
      • More info at Iowa State Lab Safety.
• Parachute (rocket model type) and streamers
  • Alternative is to build one from duct tape and garbage bags. Since they are the same material (either PETE or LDPE plastic sheet) as model rocket parachutes, we ought to be fine. Using this parachute calculator, we will need a 1152 in^2 square parachute to descend at a speed of 11 mph (maximum safe speed). This is the area given by two parachutes side-by-side using two halves of a 30 gallon garbage bag. --Spacefelix 15:19, 24 March 2010 (CDT)
• String / Fishing Line
  • Will need 10 to 20 lb kite string.
• Digital Camera: 5MP, preferably a Sony so we can use CHDK
  • Alternative would be to buy a cell-phone camera unit and connect to our system.
• 1 x Memory Card, 8GB
• 1 x Memory Card, Cheap (size not important)
• Atmega Processor
• Free-spinning joints (like found in keychains) & Bungee cords
  • Can replace by making lanyards and lines sufficiently long to allow the payload, parachute and balloon turn independently of each other and give some damping and springing action by the lines' natural elasticity.
• GPS
• Batteries (3 x D Cell)
• Radar Reflector (Is this something we will make, or purchase?)
• Shock Cushion for Bottom of payload
  • Given we are only allowed a maximum descent speed of 11 mph, this eliminates the need for padding. Drop testing of the foam cooler loaded to 2 lbs on a concrete floor from 6 ft up with two 24"x24" parachutes did not damage it.
• Radio or Cell Phone

Human Resources

Bill Brown

Bill Brown has expressed interest in helping the project. He can provide balloons, lifting gas, a launch site (on a mountaintop near Hartselle), a ground station and some lightweight tracking payloads. All of it is for his company: High Altitude Research Corp. He invented the Near Space BalloonSat back in 1987. It was the first to take photos and videos in Near Space.

• Recommendations
  • Use his lightweight tracking payloads instead of the GPS cell phone method.
  • Use the Canon PowerShot series hacked with CHDK (Canon Hacker Development Kit) software.
  • Fly the Flip video cam.
  • Bought balloons for $20.00 each on eBay. Has receipt to prove it for costing.
• Media
  • His YouTube Channel or YouTube search SpacePort Indiana

PreauxPhoto

Our member who has access to cheap lifting gas.

Others

• Rohan has worked on BalloonSat before
• Steve Boyer and Sarah Johnstone have worked on BalloonSats before as well
• The members of the Madison Alabama Space Expansion Forum (MASEF) are interested in learning about and helping out with the project.

All Interested Peoples

• Brimstone
• Spacefelix (HSIS Event Board Liason)
• Omegix (Acting as local POC/Project Manager)
• Crashcart (requested no admin duties)
• bender
• Ratmandu
• Rohan
• Your name here

HAL5 Presentation Talking points

• Introduce ourselves
• Describe Makers Local 256
• Describe the contest
  • Review rules
• Describe how we're going to compete
  • If it's still at the shop, show that piece of paper we drew a diagram on
• Rustle up support for the project:
  • People are welcome to join
  • Donations of money and gear are appreciated

Sketches

3/1/2010

Links

General Information

• Competition Website
• Project Icarus
• Amateur Radio High-Altitude Ballooning
• Iowa Amateur Rocketry Group - High Altitude Balloon Project
• High Altitude Object

Balloon Trajectory

• Balloon Trajectory Forecasts
• Near Space Ventures
• NOAA AWC Winds Aloft Reports

Articles

• Project Icarus Makezine Article
• High-Altitude Balloon Launch Glider
• Near-Space Photography
• How to CVS a Camera