Difference between revisions of "HSIS"

Revision as of 19:40, 15 March 2010

Overview

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

Calendar

• March 4 2010, 7:00pm - 8:00pm: HAL5 Presentation at Huntsville Main Library's Auditorium
• March 8 2010, 7:30pm - 8:30pm: BalloonSat 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

Status

• 2/22/10 - 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 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 liason. 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 - 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 - HSIS 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.

Future Actions

• 3/22 - Spacefelix will be holding a build session for the balloon cradle and suspension. Purpose is to build, weight and test (low-temperature and impact) first payload before sizing and purchasing balloon and helium/hydrogen. Need to purchase:
  • 1" foam sheeting or a cooler
  • Bungee cables
  • Hooks and rotating connectors
  • Hot Hands
  • Model Rocketry parachute and two streamers
• Checking into available camera for project.
• Presentation to 2600 on HSIS - Let's reuse the HAL5 presentation, but flesh it out with our recent progress.

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.

List of Potential Materials - Source & Pricing

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

• Weather Balloons
  • EBay has 8' Diameter Weather Balloons for $25.00 a balloon from a high-altitude balloon project from the Iowa Amateur Rocketry Group. However, these are oversized for our project. We want to minimize payload weight so we can buy smaller balloons and less lifting gas on the cheap.
• Helium
  • Can be had from Air Liquide or our local Airgas shop: 191 Cochran Road Southwest, Huntsville, AL 35824-1105, (256) 772-5404‎
• Parachute (rocket model type) and streamers
• String / Fishing Line
• Styrofoam cooler, small
• Digital Camera: 5MP, preferably a Sony so we can use CHDK
• 1 x Memory Card, 8GB
• 1 x Memory Card, Cheap (size not important)
• Atmega Processor
• Free-spinning joints (like found in keychains)
• Bungee cords
• GPS
• Batteries (3 x D Cell)
• Radar Reflector (Is this something we will make, or purchase?)
• Shock Cushion for Bottom of payload
• Radio or Cell Phone
• Heat Source (like HotHands)

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

Others

• Rohan has worked on BalloonSat before
• Steve Boyer and Sarah Johnstone have worked on BalloonSats before as well

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

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