8.0 Launch And Recovery - Co Space Grant · Web viewResearch, Structure, Thermal, Science Anthony...

Colorado Space Grant Consortium

GATEWAY TO SPACE FALL 2009

DESIGN DOCUMENT

Team Alpha

Written by: Chelsea Welch

Tully BaetzColin Nugen

Elisabeth MogerCharles Hartman

Anthony Cangelosi

December 5, 2009Revision

Revision Log

Jennifer, 12/13/09,

Team Alpha, it was clear that you all spent much more time putting together your document, and it really paid off. Your results section was very in-depth and easy to understand. The section accurately described what was happening in your results and that you met your mission purpose.

Revision Description DateA/B Conceptual and Preliminary Design Review October 6, 2009C Critical Design Review November 3, 2009D Analysis and Final Report December 5, 2009

Table of Contents

1.0 Mission Overview.........................................................................................................12.0 Requirements Flow Down............................................................................................13.0 Design...........................................................................................................................34.0 Management.................................................................................................................95.0 Budget.........................................................................................................................116.0 Test Plan and Results..................................................................................................127.0 Expected Results.........................................................................................................188.0 Launch and Recovery.................................................................................................199.0 Results and Analysis...................................................................................................2010.0 Ready for Flight........................................................................................................3011.0 Conclusions and Lessons Learned............................................................................3212.0 Message to Next semester........................................................................................33

Jennifer, 12/09/09,

Great!

Gateway to Space ASEN/ASTR 2500 Fall 2009

1.0 Mission OverviewMission Statement:The BalloonSat, Big Bang, will ascend to an altitude of approximately 30 km for a 90 minute flight carrying a GCK-05 Analog Meter Geiger counter that will detect the amount of radiation in the lower atmosphere, including the amount of beta particles and gamma rays, as a function of altitude.

Purpose of the Mission:Team Alpha will be sending the BalloonSat up to determine the amount of radiation in the atmosphere as a function of altitude. This is to better understand when and where the layers of the atmosphere filter harmful, cosmic radiation before it reaches the ground. Because the BalloonSat is reaching 30 kilometers, the data being analyzed will be the amount of radiation within the troposphere and stratosphere, which includes the ozone layer. The ozone layer is within the lower stratosphere and is from approximately 10 km to 50 km above Earth. This mission will show how much radiation the ozone layer protects life from by measuring the amount of radiation that is in the ozone layer and the amount that is below the ozone layer. It is expected that there will be a significant rise in radiation within the ozone layer compared to below the ozone layer.

Mission Findings and Results:Beta particles above 5.0 keV and gamma rays above 7 keV will be detected by the Geiger counter with the Geiger-Muller tube. The data from these readings will be stored by the AVR board. All of the data will then be analyzed by comparing time, altitude, and radiation data to reveal the magnitude of the radiation environment at various altitudes within and below the ozone layer.

2.0 Requirements Flow DownThe following requirements have been followed in order to successfully build, launch, and recover the BalloonSat and analyze all data recovered. Level 0 states the main Mission Statement requirements, beginning with Objectives. Level 1 will continue into System Requirements, and will then describe each of the Level 0 Mission Requirements and Level 1 System Requirements in more detail. Each Objective (0) and System Requirement (S) can be traced back to the Mission Overview.

Level Type Number Requirement

0(MS)

O 1

The BalloonSat shall ascend to an altitude of approximately 30 km during a flight of 90 minutes launched from Windsor, Colorado at 6:50 AM on

November 7, 2009.

O 2 The BalloonSat shall collect data on the amount of radiation in near space as a function of altitude.

O 3The total science cost of the BalloonSat shall not exceed

a weight of 850 grams or a cost of $100.00. Any additional cost shall be covered by the team.

Team Alpha Page 1 of 34 December 5, 2009Project Big Bang Rev D

Jennifer, 12/09/09,

What do you classify as “near space”

Jennifer, 12/09/09,

Better. Could omit “data on the”

Jennifer, 12/09/09,

Nice specifics

Jennifer, 12/09/09,

Good.


1

S 4 All safety precautions will be taken.

S 5 The BalloonSat shall carry hardware that will collect data required for the mission during flight.

S 6 All components of the BalloonSat shall be tested for functionality.

O 1.1 The BallonSat shall remain intact throughout the entire flight.

O 1.2The BalloonSat shall withstand extreme external

pressures and temperatures during flight. Temperature will be regulated by the heater.

O 2.1The BalloonSat shall carry a Geiger counter that will detect beta particles and gamma rays as a function of

altitude.

O 2.2The Geiger counter will be connected to the AVR board

and the AVR will record counts of radiation per 234 milliseconds throughout flight.

O 3.1 All extra costs will be split equally between members at the end of the class unless extra cost is small.

O 3.2The Camera, AVR Board, Heater, HOBO, 2 AA

Batteries, 3x9 Alkaline Batteries, and 2x9 Volt Lithium Batteries shall weigh between 450 and 550 grams.

O 3.3

The Geiger Counter, Foam Core, Switches, Aluminum Tape, Glue, Insulation, Plastic tubing, Anti-abrasion Washers, 9 bolts, nuts, and spacers, and 2 Paperclips

shall not weigh more than 350g.

S 4.1 All safety procedures will be followed while conducting every test.

S 4.2 All directions will be followed on launch day.

S 5.1The BalloonSat HOBO datalogger shall measure

internal temperature, external temperature, and humidity with the external temperature cable throughout the flight

S 5.2The AVR Board shall measure ascent and descent rates

and internal pressure throughout the flight, and shall collect data output from the Geiger counter

S 5.3 The Camera shall take pictures throughout the flight.

S 6.1 The Geiger counter shall be tested using a radiation source of americium.

S 6.2 The Geiger counter data from the radiation source shall be taken and analyzed before flight.

S 6.3 The Camera, Heater, HOBO, and AVR Board shall be tested individually for functionality.

S 6.4 The entire system of hardware shall be assembled and tested for functionality

S 6.5 The structure will be whip, drop, stair pitch, cooler, and mission simulation tested.


Jennifer, 12/09/09,

What type of data is required?


3.0 DesignStructure & Design:

The BalloonSat was constructed from a single sheet of six sections of cut foam core in order to create a cube for the structure. This is to minimize the volume of the structure so that each piece of hardware can be effectively heated by the heater. It will allow all hardware to fit securely within the cube. This design is also to create a structure that is more likely to survive the impact after flight. All hardware will be equally distributed within the cube based on individual weight to allow for stability on the flight string. The cube has a length, width, and height of 160 mm. The foam core was assembled with hot glue, and along each edge on the outside there is aluminum tape to reinforce the bonds.

The structure was constructed so that the top lid of the box could be lifted up in order to be able to perform any modifications necessary before launch but after build. The flight tube runs through the center of the box. Two holes were cut in the top and the bottom sides of the box. Only when everything was complete was the flight tube integrated into the structure, secured at each end with a metal, anti-abrasion washer, a paperclip, and hot glue. Before flight the top lid of the box was sealed with only aluminum tape in order for easy access after recovery.

Six sections of one cm thick insulation were hot glued to each of the inner walls of the structure. Any holes cut out in the foam core box were also cut out of the insulation accordingly. Each section of the insulation was measured precisely so that upon closure of the box, each edge of each piece would overlap and therefore keep any heat from escaping through the edges and corners of the box.

The Geiger counter is located on one of the side walls of the box. Three one-inch-long bolts were placed through three of the four mounting holes on the Geiger counter board. The hole nearest the Geiger Muller tube was not used as an extra precaution against arcing. Between the board and the insulation/foam core, ¾ inch plastic spacers were used. The bolts were then pushed through holes pre punched through the foam core and nuts were placed on the ends so that the bolts would not slide back through. Hot glue was applied to the nuts so that they would not fall off. The spacers provided room for the Geiger counter to rest above the insulation without touching it.

The end of the Geiger-Muller tube was covered in metal epoxy to protect the fragile end-window from breaking due to severe pressure change and the effects of the vacuum of space. Once the Geiger counter was fully tested and known to be functional, the entire board was coated with coronal doping. This is to prevent corona arcing due to high voltage and a lack of insulating air at altitude which could potentially break the Geiger counter or cause a fire.

The AVR Board was placed on the opposite wall from the Geiger counter. It was also secured with four one-inch-long bolts, four nuts, four plastic three-quarter-inch spacers, and hot glue through four open holes on the AVR Board. The AVR Board also sat above the insulation.


Jennifer, 12/09/09,

There is a really amazing amount of specifics in this section. Nice job.


The heater was placed on the bottom of the cube, close to the battery stack and the camera batteries. It was secured with two 1 inch bolts, nuts and ¾ inch spacers using the same method as with the Geiger counter and AVR board. The HOBO was placed on the ceiling, secured with Velcro. A small hole was cut in one of the side walls of the box for the probe so that it could protrude from the box. The probe was placed so that only one inch of the rubber tube was showing. The hole and the probe were then secured with hot glue to prevent the probe from sliding back through.

The camera was placed along another side wall in the corner so that the front of the camera was facing this wall and the side of the camera was up against the adjoining wall. A hole the size of the lens was cut through both the foam core and the insulation so that the camera could take clear pictures. This hole was reinforced with aluminum tape. Velcro was placed on the side of the camera touching the wall, the front of the battery casing, and the bottom of the camera to secure it down with three points of contact providing a stable mount. Two small pieces of insulation were placed around the camera lens and up against the wall in a box shape in order to keep any cold air from entering, or hot air from escaping, through the hole for the camera.

There are five 9-Volt Lithium batteries. These batteries were placed side by side, with the shorter sides touching to prevent too much heat from being produced between them, and a piece of electrical tape was wrapped around the series of batteries. Velcro was then glued along the length of the series of batteries and they were secured on the remaining side of the box.

A hole for the two switches (the G-Switch and the Power Switch) and their corresponding LED indicators was cut near the top of the box for easy access. These were secured with hot glue. The Power Switch and the G-Switch were then labeled by their names and the numbers “1” and “2” for a successful launch with the payload correctly activated.

All connecting wires between the AVR, Geiger counter, heater, camera, and batteries were bundled together into several bundles and secured down with electrical tape. This was done to ensure that no wires would get bumped or ripped from their connections, and the tape took pressure off the connections and isolated any strain that would have occurred from launch, burst, and impact. The power and G-switch connections to the AVR board were glued in to further prevent an accidental loss of power during flight.

Each component of the satellite was tested individually to check for functionality, and all components were tested together to make sure that the satellite was in working order. Details about all tests performed, including structural tests, functionality tests, and mission simulation tests can be found in Section 6.

Prior to launch, the external Power Switch will be flipped first, and the external G-switch will be flipped second. This process will power on the AVR board, which in turn will power on the camera, Geiger counter, and heater. The HOBO is programmed to turn on right before launch. The AVR will begin recording data at ground level, which includes pressure,



temperature, acceleration, and Geiger data, and will continue to record throughout the flight. The HOBO will measure internal temperature, external temperature, and humidity.

The Geiger Counter:

The Geiger counter used for this mission was the GCK-05 Analog Meter Geiger Counter Kit by Scientific Instruments. All components and directions were provided by Colorado Space Grant Consortium. The Geiger counter was assembled within a single day. The printed circuit board was constructed with all components, and then the GM tube was integrated into the board. Because the Geiger counter detects only beta particles and gamma rays, the tube did not need to be mounted to the outside of the box, as these two types of radiation can penetrate foam core. The orientation of the tube was also not a factor because gamma and beta radiation can easily penetrate the metal structure as well as the epoxy that covers the window.

During assembly, the Geiger counter was continually tested for functionality with a small radiation source of americium provided by Colorado Space Grant. Two 9-Volt Alkaline batteries were used during this phase of testing. Once complete, the Geiger counter was audibly clicking, and the LED light blinking, and it was concluded that building was finished.

Once tests had confirmed that the Geiger counter was working, it was then integrated into the AVR board via a digital output. The connections came out from the Geiger counter, 9V in, ground and digital out, all attached to a male 3 prong header. A 3 prong female header was soldered onto the breadboard section of the AVR board. Each prong on the AVR bread board was soldered into a junction with another hole on the bread board in which a wire ran to the desired point. The 9V power on the header was attached via wire to a 9V power source, ground to ground, and the digital out was attached to the input section of the AVR, D2. This input, D2, was the slot that the AVR was programmed to take Geiger counter data.

Data Acquisition:

The AVR microcontroller is programmed to take data from 5 instruments: X and Y accelerometers, an air pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and the Geiger counter. The program is designed to read the analog output from the sensors, not including the Geiger counter, every 234 milliseconds. This data is then saved to the AVR flash memory. In order to take the Geiger counter data, a different method was used as compared to the other instruments. Every time the counter detects a beta particle or gamma ray it emits a 5V pulse through the digital output. Since this is not an analog output which can be shown as a continuous curve, the current method of taking data would not suffice because only the counts that are being detected just as the instrument is being sampled by the AVR would get counted, and all other counts would be left out. In order to overcome this, an interrupt was used. This allowed the AVR to constantly take data from the Geiger counter in the form of short counting experiments. Every time the AVR took the count from the interrupt, the count would reset and begin again. The counts from this were taken and put into the flash memory



in the same fashion as the other instruments, except that instead of a voltage value, an integer representing the number of detections was used.

Once the BalloonSat was recovered after launch, all data was retrieved, reviewed, and analyzed. Once finished with analyzing and graphing the data, the experiment was concluded and all information was incorporated into the final presentation. Details on how the data was retrieved and analyzed can be found in Section 7. Details on the conclusions made can be found in Section 9.

Functional Block Diagram:


AVR Microcontroller

Geiger Counter

Jennifer, 12/09/09,

I like how you put the FBD and the compenent side-by-side.



Camera Heater

Jennifer, 12/09/09,

Nice picture!


A picture of the inside of the BalloonSat.

Hardware:

Item Quantity SourceGCK-05 Geiger Counter 1 Provided by Space Grant

HOBO data logger 1 Provided In ClassExternal Temperature Cable 1 Provided In Class

Cannon A570IS Camera 1 Provided In ClassAVR Microcontroller Board 1 Provided In Class

Heater 1 Provided In Class

Foam Core 3 sheets (2 test and 1 spare) Provided In Class

Extra Foam Core 5 Sheets (4 test and 1 final) King Soopers

Switches 2 Provided In ClassAluminum Tape 263 cm Provided In Class

Extra Aluminum Tape 100 cm Provided In ClassHot Glue Approx 10 Sticks Provided In ClassInsulation 2,150 cm^2 Provided In Class

Flight Batteries (AVR, Heater, and Geiger counter)

5 x 9 Volt Lithium Batteries Batteries Plus

Flight Batteries (Camera) 2 x AA Lithium Batteries Batteries Plus

Test Batteries (In class)5 x 9 Volt Alkaline and

2 x AA Alkaline Batteries

Provided In Class

Test Batteries (9 Volt) 12 x 9 Volt Alkaline Batteries

Office Depot and Home Depot

Test Batteries (AA) 4 x AA batteries Home DepotPlastic Tubing 2 x 9 cm piece Provided In Class

Anti-Abrasion Washers 2 Provided In Class



Paper Clips 2 Provided In ClassTest Flight String 1 Provided In Class

Metal/Concrete Epoxy 1 Package Home DepotCorona Dope 1 Bottle Provided by Space Grant

Industrial Strength Velcro 48 inches Home DepotDry Ice 27 lbs King Soopers

3/4 Inch Long Plastic Spacer 8 (7 for box, 1 extra) Home Depot1 Inch Long Bolt and Nut 8 (7 for box, 1 extra) Home Depot

RFP Design Requirements: The following are how Team Alpha has met the RFP design requirements according to the current design of the BalloonSat, Big Bang.

RFP Requirement ComplianceAdditional experiments, collection of data, analysis of data

Geiger counter, detecting and recording radiation, analysis with respect to altitude

Analog input not to exceed 5V Geiger counter data to be recorded from 0 to 5 Volts

Interface tube secured and not interfering with flight string

Plastic tube, anti-abrasion washers, and paperclips will be built into structure

Internal temperature remain above -10° C Heater shall regulate temperatureWeight not to exceed 850g Total weight is 844gAcquire ascent and descent rates of flight string Data found by pressure readings

Design allows for HOBO, external temperature cable, Camera, AVR Microcontroller, heater system, and batteries.

All are incorporated into the BalloonSat design.

BalloonSat shall be made of foam core Incorporated into the design

Part list and budget shall include spare parts

An extra sheet of foam core and an extra plastic tube has been included as well as excess glue, tape, and paper clips. The Geiger counter cannot be replaced.

BalloonSat shall have contact information and an American flag.

This will be incorporated into the design on the outside of the foam core once the satellite has been finished.

All units shall be in metric All units in all design documents are in metric.

No one shall get hurt All safety procedures and instructions shall be followed.

4.0 ManagementTeam Alpha is made up of six Gateway to Space students: Colin Nugen, Chelsea Welch, Tully Baetz, Charles Hartman, Anthony Cangelosi, and Beth Moger. All team members will share the work required to design, test, and build a BalloonSat. Each team member is



responsible for specific tasks. Each team member will also be responsible for the different systems of the BalloonSat, though all systems are assigned to multiple team members.

Name Tasks Systems Responsibilities

Colin Nugen

Help with building of test structures and the Geiger counter, editing documents, testing, making the functional block diagram.

Structure, Science, Research, Power

Chelsea Welch

Team leader. Write and finalize documents and reports, and help with building the final structure and Geiger counter.

Structure, Research, Science, Electrical

Tully Baetz

Conceptual design artist, help with building the test and final structures and the Geiger counter, testing, programming, editing of documents

C&DH, Research, Structure, Science

Charles Hartman

Structures: design, testing, integrating with other systems, research supplies.

Research, Structure, Thermal, Science

Anthony Cangelosi

Budget and testing, programming, help with building of test and final structures and the Geiger counter.

C&DH, Research, Science, Power

Elisabeth Moger

Electrical, editing of team documents, help with building of the Geiger counter, testing, and research components.

Science, Electrical, Power, Structure

Schedule:

Team Alpha's main time limitation was assembling, testing, and integrating the Geiger counter, as well as all other testing for the structure and hardware. All needed to be done on time in order to leave time modifications and re-testing if needed. Team Alpha was able to work quickly and efficiently in order to carry out the design within the time limits of the class.

Task Date Design Complete Tuesday 9/15/09Team meeting Wednesday 9/16/09Proposal Due Thursday 9/17/09Begin to acquire hardware and materials not ordered. Saturday 9/19/09

Team meeting Monday 9/21/09Proposal Presentation Due Tuesday 9/22/09Authority to Proceed – Order All Hardware – HW 4 Due. Tuesday 9/29/09

Team meeting Wednesday 9/30/09Begin Building Structure Thursday 10/1/09Team meeting Monday 10/5/09



Acquire all necessary hardware Tuesday10/6/09Order Geiger counter Tuesday 10/6/09Team meeting Monday 10/12/09Acquire and finish Geiger Counter Saturday 10/17/09Test Geiger counter Sunday 10/18/09Team Meeting Monday 10/19/09Incorporate GC into structure Monday 10/19/09Finish building payload Wednesday 10/21/09Whip/Drop/Stair Pitch Tests/ Revisions where needed. Thursday 10/22/09

Functional Hardware Test and Revisions Friday 10/23/09Team meeting Monday 10/26/09Pre-Launch Inspection Tuesday 10/27/09In-Class Mission Simulation Test Thursday 10/29/09First Cold Test Sunday, 11/1/09Finish Building Monday 11/2/09Second Cold Test Wednesday 11/4/09Final Modifications - Finished Thursday 11/ 5/09Finish BalloonSat Weigh in – Turn in Friday 11/6/09Launch Day Saturday 11/7/09Team meeting- extract data Monday 11/9/09Bring Raw flight data Tuesday 11/10/09Analyze Data Thursday 11/12/09Finish Analyzing Data Sunday 11/15/09Team meeting- Begin Final Presentation Monday 11/16/09Homework 5 due Thursday 11/19/09Finish Final Presentation Friday 11/27/09Presentation Due Tuesday 12/1/09Design Expo/Rev D Due Saturday 12/5/09Hardware Turn-in Tuesday 12/8/09Homework 6 Due Thursday 12/10/09

5.0 BudgetHardware & Mass:

Item Weight (grams)

HOBO 30g (Not included in final weight budget)

Canon A570IS & 2 AA Batteries 220gAVR & 2 x 9 Volt Lithium Batteries 150g

Heater & 3 x 9 Volt Alkaline Batteries 100g



Geiger Counter 75gPlastic Tubing 15g

2 Washers 30g2 Paperclips 5g

Foam core Structure 24gInsulation 55g

Aluminum Tape 25gVelcro 35gGlue 60g

7 x ½ Inch Long Plastic Spacer 15g7 x 1 Inch Long Bolt and Nut 20g

2 Switches 15gTotal = 844g

Budget:

Item Where Item Will be Purchased/Ordered From Price (U.S. dollars)

Metal/Concrete Epoxy Home Depot $4.99Dry Ice King Soopers $36.97

Industrial Velcro Home Depot $9.47Foam Core King Soopers $22.50

9 Volt Alkaline 6 Pack Home Depot $10.97Plastic Spacers Home Depot $2.24Nuts and Bolts Home Depot $1.96

3 x 9 Volt 2 Pack Home Depot $14.979 Volt Lithium Flight Batteries Plus $7.29

Total = $111.36

Chelsea will cover the extra cost of $11.36

6.0 Test Plan and Results

Test Plan:

Before flight, the payload will be tested by means of temperature, force, mission simulation, and functionality. For each structural and force test, test boxes will be built and weights corresponding to each of the pieces of hardware will be secured to the sides in order to simulate flight. Each test



box will be identical to the one that will be used for flight in order to ensure that the final structure will survive the intense physical stress associated with actual launch, flight, and landing. These tests will include a whip test, a drop test, and a stair pitch test. Once the structure has been extensively tested, the structure will be examined and modifications will be made to improve the durability of the design.

All components of the payload will be tested individually for functionality. The Geiger counter and the AVR board will be turned on and off to ensure that the two pieces are functioning together correctly, that the switches are working, and that the system can be successfully powered with two 9 volt batteries. During this test, the heater that is hooked up to the AVR will also be examined to ensure that it is turning on along with the board, working correctly and producing heat, and that it can be successfully powered by three 9 volt batteries. The camera will also be extensively tested for functionality to ensure that it can be powered on by the switches while connected to the AVR.

Once all of the components are tested to ensure that they will turn on and work, mission simulation tests will follow. For these tests, the payload will be armed prior to the test and disarmed after the test is complete. There will be individual component mission simulation tests as well as complete mission simulation tests once everything is integrated. These tests will include making sure the Geiger counter is transmitting data to the AVR correctly, making sure the camera can take pictures at the correct time interval of twenty seconds when powered on, and making sure the heater becomes hot once powered on. The full mission simulation test will be conducted first as a bench test, and then later as a cold test. After these simulation tests are completed, data retrieval will begin to ensure that all systems have worked properly during the simulation. These tests were performed multiple times and corrections and modifications were made depending on the results and how everything worked or did not work.

Test Results:

The following tests have been conducted to determine the integrity of the design and systems. Samples of data from each test will be shown if appropriate.

Structural Tests:

Whip test:During the beginning of the descent and the impact on touchdown, the payload experiences extreme physical strain. To test that the BalloonSat would survive the force of near Mach 1 conditions, the payload was tested by being “whipped” around. Masses were placed within the box to simulate the actual payload. The whole structure was spun around above the tester’s head at a high velocity. This simulated the maximum gravitational forces acting upon the payload during flight. The structure was then released abruptly to simulate the helium burst at maximum altitude.



This test was performed once. At the end of this test, the structure was in good shape and the masses in place, and the test was considered successful, assuring no need of reworking the structure.

Drop Test:

During impact, vital pieces of the payload could have been damaged or destroyed if the structural integrity of the box was not sound while being dragged or slammed against the Earth. The drop test simulated similar effects on the structure of the payload.

The structure along with mass simulations was dropped at thirty feet from a cleared area under a bridge several times. Damage to the structure was minimal, including a few scratches and minor dents in the corners, and all masses remained in place. None of the damage was critical enough to cause concern for the safety of the actual payload components, and test was considered a success.

The structure was then dropped from the top of the parking garage into a safe and unpopulated area. This test was to further ensure that from a height of 60 feet the structure would still survive in the case of the payload hitting the ground harder than expected after flight. The structure survived with minimal damage, including a few scratches and minor dents in the corners, and all masses were in place. None of the damage was critical enough to cause concern for the safety of the actual payload components, and the test was considered a success.

Below is a picture of one of the test structures used:

One of the test structures after several dropsoff the bridge and the parking garage.

Stair Pitch Test:

To further simulate the impact of landing and the ensuing tumbling, the payload was dropped down two flights of stairs to test the structural integrity of the payload. The structure survived with similar minimal damage as stated above and the test was considered a success.


Jennifer, 12/09/09,

Good picture, the left side almost looks like it split open, though.

Jennifer, 12/09/09,

Good.


Geiger Counter & AVR Tests:

The following individual mission simulation tests have been performed with the Geiger counter and the AVR:

Multiple simulation tests with the AVR and Geiger counter were performed. These tests ensured that data output from the counter was being recorded onto the AVR memory properly. This was accomplished by turning on the AVR board and Geiger counter on for a period of time to record background radiation and using a smoke detector radiation source of americium that was intermittently placed close to the GM tube during the test. The amount of background radiation expected was one to five counts every five to ten minutes. Data was then extracted by connecting the AVR to the computer and parsing the data into Excel. The data was checked for small counts of background radiation and then larger counts which would have corresponded to the radiation source near the GM tube.

The first simulation test reported zero background radiation upon data retrieval. Upon debugging, it was noticed that the Geiger counter output was in the wrong hole. After re soldering and fixing the mistake, the simulation test was run once more. The following are a few lines from the working Geiger counter data retrieval:



This data clearly shows that the Geiger counter was picking up correct background radiation and the radiation from the source of americium, which is collected in counts per time interval of 234 milliseconds. Highlighted in yellow are the counts that occurred when the radiation source was closer to the GM tube. The zeros in between are when the source was taken away. This is about the amount of radiation that was expected to be seen. There are higher counts where the source


X-Accel Y-Accel Temperature Pressure Geiger Counts2.4707

42.4756

2 0.771496 3.75494 02.4658

62.4805

1 0.771496 3.75494 02.4707

42.4805

1 0.771496 3.75982 02.4853

92.4853

9 0.771496 3.75494 02.4707

42.4805

1 0.766613 3.75494 182.4707

42.4805

1 0.771496 3.75982 52.4707

42.4756

2 0.771496 3.75494 02.4707

42.4805

1 0.771496 3.75494 42.4658

62.4756

2 0.771496 3.75494 152.4658

62.4805

1 0.771496 3.75494 02.4756

22.4853

9 0.771496 3.75982 02.4658

62.4805

1 0.771496 3.75494 02.4756

22.4853

9 0.771496 3.75494 02.4658

62.4756

2 0.771496 3.75494 02.4707

42.4756

2 0.771496 3.75006 52.4658

62.4756

2 0.771496 3.75494 02.4707

42.4853

9 0.771496 3.75494 02.4756

22.4805

1 0.771496 3.75494 112.4707

42.4805

1 0.771496 3.75494 02.4658

62.4805

1 0.771496 3.75494 9

Jennifer, 12/09/09,

Great improvement on formatting everything!


was close, and there were smaller counts that occurred due to background radiation. This indicated that the Geiger counter was taking the correct amount of data and that it was being recorded correctly. The Geiger counter was tested and was working.

During one of the Geiger counter tests, three extra 9 volt batteries were hooked up to the heater. After a few minutes had passed, the heater was felt to make sure that it had successfully turned on. The heater was producing heat and this ensured that it could be turned on by the AVR board switches.

For the following full mission simulation tests, the entire payload and structure was constructed and integrated so that the entire system could be tested.

Full Mission Simulation and Functional Tests:

To ensure all systems were in working order and integration of systems was correct, the payload was armed, sealed, and activated on a flat surface and left alone for 90 minutes (duration of entire flight). After the allotted time, the payload was disarmed and data retrieval commenced to ensure all systems worked the entire time. The data was very similar to the data above, and the test was considered successful.

In the middle of this test, the camera was examined through the hole in the box. It was visible that the lens was taking pictures. It was then timed to see if the camera was taking pictures at the correct time interval of twenty seconds. At the end of the simulation test, the camera was removed from the box and the memory card was taken out. There were clear pictures on the memory card, and there was no interference in the pictures of the edges of the circle cut out in the foam core, indicating the camera was oriented correctly in the box and that the circle was big enough for the lens. There were also enough pictures to indicate that the camera had taken pictures every twenty seconds for the length of the test.

Below is a picture taken by the camera during this functional test:

Picture Taken of Wall by Camera During TestingCold Test:

Once the entire system was known to be functioning correctly with the bench mission simulation test, the payload was then exposed to similar temperatures it would be exposed to


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Great.


during flight. The payload experienced a “freeze test” in which the completed payload was placed in a closed environment to control temperature. Ten pounds of dry ice was uniformly distributed on the bottom of a cooler and a non-conductive Styrofoam platform was placed on top of the ice. The payload was activated upon this platform and the environment was sealed to simulate colder temperatures. Because CO2 turns from a solid to a gas at -80° Celsius, the dry ice will simulate the possible -80° Celsius that can occur at an altitude of 100,000 feet.

For the first cold test, the following information was recorded.

Cold Test Data and Analysis:

The cold test data is extensive. Here is a simplified breakdown:

X-High, Y-High, and Pressure all recorded normal data. At this time, the Geiger counter did not have the correct output line and so it took zero data. Over the seventy minute interval, the internal temperature began at 23° Celsius and ended at 19° Celsius. At this point, the cold test was ended for fear of the welfare of the Geiger counter.

The first cold test failed because the camera retracted and left a large hole in the side of the box. The reason for this is because the memory card in the camera was not “locked.” Because of this fact, the camera immediately shut down after being powered on by the AVR board. This issue was resolved and taken note of in order to make sure that the same thing does not occur during flight.

The camera lens retracting is the only reason the test failed. Another cold test was planned and carried out. Its results are listed at the end of this section.

After the first cooler test, a battery test was performed in order to ensure that the payload was working correctly after the failure of the cold test. The following information was recorded.

Battery Test: Since the cold test failed, we will try to just run the payload until something stops:


Minutes In Condition0 Power lights on, GC clicking

20 Camera retracted – likely due to settings33 Power still on, GC still working42 Power still on, GC still working50 GC no longer audibly clicking60 GG still not clicking70 Total power failure, lights off, no sounds, ENDING TEST.

Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Will the Geiger counter be senstitive to cold? Does this matter?


Minutes in Condition30 All good52 All good

1 hour 20 All good1 hour 40 Everything still works2 hours 15 AVR and GC still functioning, Heater has died. ENDING TEST.

This test proved that functionally, the entire system still works after the failure of the cold test. Because the heater ran out first, it is assured that all systems, including the Geiger counter and the AVR, will work for the correct amount of time.

Final Cold Test:

The cold test data is extensive. Here is a simplified breakdown:

X-High, Y-High, and Pressure all recorded normal data. The Geiger counter recorded the expected amount of background radiation, which consisted of one to five counts of radiation every five to ten seconds. Over the two hour and fifteen minute interval, the temperature began at 28° Celsius and dropped to a low of -15° Celsius. At this point the cold test was ended.

This cold test was considered successful. All hardware was functioning properly and all batteries were still working. The temperature of -15° Celsius is what is expected for the internal temperature of the payload.

It is believed that the reason the first cold test only dropped to 19° Celsius was that the hole in the side of the box that the camera left allowed too much cold air in too fast, causing the batteries to fail. At this point, all hardware stopped functioning and no more data was collected that was relevant.

7.0 Expected Results

The expected results of the cosmic ray study using the GCK-05 Geiger Counter based on previous experiments by other organizations are a steep nonlinear increase in counts of radiation per minute that peaks at 15 km with roughly 6 to 8 times the counts of radiation at the starting elevation. The data will provide information on the radiation environment of the atmosphere up to 30km.

As the main purpose of the mission, the data should prove that upon entering the ozone layer at ten kilometers, the amount of radiation should rise, indicating that the ozone layer is the main protection against harmful radiation to life on earth.

The counts will be plotted both as a function of altitude, time, and air pressure. This will be done by using the fact that the Geiger counter takes a reading every 234 milliseconds. All


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Yes, but will they work under the cold conditions?


data collected by the AVR board that needs to be graphed will be graphed according to this time interval, which gives a reference on when and where different things occurred.

In order to analyze the data the individual rows of data needed to be associated with a time value. In order to accomplish this, the interval setting used to program the timer of the AVR (234 milliseconds for this group) is needed. This means that each row represents 234 milliseconds and the time can be summed by multiplying the row number by the timer setting. To calculate the altitude, the pressure sensor on the AVR was used. The voltage output is first converted to PSI using the given conversion equation:

PSI=3.75∗Voltage−1.87

From the PSI value the altitude can be calculated, but PSI must be converted to Pascals first, the equation to do this is:

Pa=6894.75729316856∗PSIThe equation for altitude in meters based on air pressure in Pascals is as follows:

altitude=¿

8.0 Launch and Recovery

The launch and recovery went according to plan. The payload was launched via high altitude balloon with no abnormalities. All systems were go and armed prior to launch and then turned on before launch.

All members of Team Alpha went to Windsor, Colorado on Saturday, November 7, for launch. The weather was sunny and dry, which was the right condition for launching the BalloonSat. All members left the CU campus at 4:45 am in order to launch early in the day so that there would be plenty of time to recover the satellite before dark.

Before the launch, the AVR and the Geiger counter were armed so all data would be stored properly. To do this, the Data Retrieval Unit was opened on a computer and the rainbow cord was connected to the header on the AVR board. The AVR was turned on, and “check armed status” was chosen. The AVR was then armed and turned off. It was ready to collect and store data from the Geiger counter once it was turned on right before.

Right before launch, which commenced at approximately 6:50 am, the final open sides of the structure were secured down with aluminum tape. There was only one team member assigned to handle the satellite at launch. This was to ensure that the proper procedure would be performed as this team member was well informed of the proper procedure in order for a successful flight. Team member Chelsea was the team member to hold the box, power it on, and release it for launch. The power switch was flipped first and the G-switch second in order for the payload to turn on correctly. The payload began to collect data and launch commenced.

After flight, the payload landed on a farm near the Colorado Wyoming border northwest of Windsor. Upon recovery, the payload was still counting data, taking pictures and with no


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Good.


electrical failures. The structure of the payload was nominal with no scratches, dents, or any damage.

After the satellite was recovered, it was brought back to CU and stored safely. The camera was removed from the box and all pictures were retrieved.

Upon data retrieval, the payload was in a similar condition as it was at landing. The only differences were that the flight tube, HOBO datalogger, and the camera had been taken out, and the aluminum tape had been reopened in order for easy access to the AVR microcontroller. Once data retrieval commenced to collect the Geiger counter, pressure, temperature, x-acceleration, and y-acceleration data, proper procedures were used in order to successfully collect the data.

The AVR was hooked up to the rainbow cord and a computer in the same way as it had been when arming the AVR. The board was switched on, the Data Retrieval Unit was opened, and “check armed status” was selected, which reported that the AVR was “partially armed” as expected. The Data Parser Utility was then opened where all the data on the file was filled in, including file name, the number of sensors, the sensor order bit size, and the counting box. The data was then parsed into an excel document.

All data was retrieved successfully. There were no errors and no failures, so all data collected was correct and useful.

9.0 Results, Analysis, and Conclusions

For this experiment, three specific occurrences were predicted that needed to be proved with the data that was recorded during flight. The first of these was that there would be a steep nonlinear increase in counts of radiation per every 234 milliseconds beginning at ground level that peaks at 15 km. The second was that at 15 km, counts of radiation per every 234 milliseconds should occur 6 to 8 times the amount of counts at the starting elevation. The third, which was the main hypothesis and the concluding factor to the mission, was that the amount of radiation would significantly increase once the satellite climbed into the ozone layer at 10 kilometers, indicating that the ozone layer is the main factor in filtering harmful radiation before it hits the ground.

From the results of the data collected, it has been indicated that the second prediction was proved relatively well, and the first and third predictions were proved exceptionally well.

The following graphs were used in the conclusions about this experiment:

Air Pressure vs. Counts:This graph indicates that the counts of radiation are significantly higher when the

pressure is lower, from approximately 0 to 6 PSI, further indicating that the counts of radiation goes up with altitude. The main purpose of this graph was to provide the information necessary to create an altitude vs. pressure graph, as altitude can be calculated using pressure.


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Nice specifics.


Altitude vs. Counts:This graph indicates that the counts of radiation increase as altitude increases. The main

purpose of this graph is to help prove all three of the predictions.

Time vs. Counts:This graph indicates the amount of counts of radiation over the time interval of the flight.

The main purposes of this graph are to help prove all three predictions and to provide a chronological visual to study the amount of radiation the Geiger counter detected.


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Good. it seems to taper off a bit after the tropopause. Explain that here also.Be sure to label the phases of flight on all of your plots.


Time vs. Altitude:This graph indicates the altitude as a function of time. The main purpose of this graph

was to connect the Time vs. Counts graph with altitude, and to connect the Altitude vs. Counts graph with time in order to prove the three predictions.

The following are the proofs of the predictions using the graphs above:

The First Prediction:



The first prediction was that there would be a steep, non linear increase of counts of radiation beginning at ground level that peaks at 15 km. The data that was collected proves this well.

This can be seen in two ways:

The red line in the first graph above shows that the satellite reached an altitude of 15 km at approximately 42 minutes into the flight. Therefore, indicated with the red line on the second graph, it is easy to see that this is the altitude at which the counts of radiation peaked, and from then on the counts of radiation remained relatively constant until reaching 15 km once more at 100 minutes.

.

The red line in the graph above also shows that the counts of radiation peaked and became constant at 15 km.Conclusion for the First Prediction:


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

nice!


Using these three graphs, it is clearly visible that the prediction was proven true. The amount of radiation detected does indeed peak at 15 km and remain constant past this altitude.

The Second Prediction:

The second prediction was that at 15 km, counts of radiation should occur 6 to 8 times the amount of counts at the starting elevation. The following graph was used in the conclusions for this prediction:

The bottom green line indicates that at ground level, the average amount of counts is approximately five. The top green line indicates that at 15 km, the average amount of counts is approximately 24 or 25. This shows that at 15 km, the amount of counts of radiation compared to those at ground level is approximately 5 times.

Conclusions for the Second Prediction:

Though this result isn’t quite 6 to 8 counts per every 234 milliseconds, the number is close enough to conclude that there is a significant increase in radiation at 15 km compared to the amount of radiation at ground level.

The Third Prediction:

The third prediction was that the amount of radiation would significantly increase once the satellite climbed into the ozone layer at ten kilometers. The data that was collected proves this well.

This can be seen in two ways:


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Very true.

Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Excellent.


The yellow line in the first graph indicates that 10 km was reached at approximately 28 minutes into the flight. The yellow line in the second graph shows that at approximately 28 minutes is when radiation started being detected at larger rates, in counts of 10 to 15 per 234 milliseconds compared to counts of 5 to 8 before ten kilometers.

The yellow line in the graph above also indicates that at 10 km the counts of radiation per 234 milliseconds rose significantly from counts of 5 to 8 to counts of 10 to 15.

The data indicates that the third prediction was proven true. The amount of radiation within the ozone layer is significantly higher than the amount of radiation below the ozone layer.

Final Conclusions:



Team Alpha was able to prove their main mission purpose as well as several other important points. The amount of radiation that exists in the ozone layer is significantly higher than the amount of radiation below the ozone layer. This indicates that the ozone layer is the main factor in preventing harmful radiation from reaching the surface of the Earth and destroying life.

Because of this, it is now clear how important the ozone layer is to the survival of all types of life. These results prove that in order for life on Earth to continue, the ozone layer must be protected from the pollution that damages it every day. The data also proves that the need for renewable energy resources is critical to the survival of the ozone layer.

Other Analysis of Data:

The following data can also be analyzed and conclusions can be made:

Internal and External Temperature:

The HOBO data provides a detailed and accurate internal vs. external temperature graph. This graph can be analyzed by a sequence of events that corresponds to entering and leaving certain layers of the atmosphere and burst:

It is known that upon entering the stratosphere, the temperature ceases to decrease and begins to increase as altitude rises. This event can be seen by looking at the first minimum external


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Usually referred to as the tropopause.

Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Labeling this graph with the phases of flight would be helpful


temperature. The temperature is approximately -57°C. This corresponds well with the known temperature when entering the stratosphere which is approximately -50 to -60° C.

Because the BalloonSat never went above the stratosphere, it can be concluded that the next extreme temperature, the first maximum after entering the stratosphere, is where burst occurred. The temperature had been rising to its maximum within the stratosphere, and dropped once more as the balloon burst and it descended. The maximum temperature reached at this time was approximately -15° C. The BalloonSat reached at maximum altitude of approximately 25 km, and so because the maximum temperature the stratosphere can be is approximately 0° C, -15° C was an appropriate temperature for the approximate burst altitude.

Finally, it can be seen with the next minimum temperature where the BalloonSat passed through the stratosphere once more and descended through the troposphere. The temperature is once again at a minimum of approximately -65° C, which is an appropriate temperature for reentering the troposphere. From there, the temperature rises until the BalloonSat finally lands, where temperature remains relatively constant.

It is also clear that the minimum internal temperature reached was -20 degrees Celsius. Though this was lower than the desired temperature, all systems survived and so it did not cause any damage.

Y-Accelerometer vs. G-Force:

The following graph shows Y G-Force as a function of time with altitude added for a reference.

This graph shows when launch, burst, and impact occurred. There is a large spike in the beginning, when altitude is still approximately zero, indicating launch. There is another, smaller spike at approximately 93 minutes indicating the correct time of burst. Finally, there is another, slightly larger spike when the altitude is zero once more indicating landing.Best Pictures:


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Did you get x-axis data?

Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Good.


Coming out of the clouds.


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Cool picture!


100,000 feet, Curvature of the Earth

After burst angled shot.

Moon visible in upper right corner.



10.0 Ready for Flight

As stated before, there were no electrical failures or hardware malfunctions that occurred during flight. As such, no repairs are necessary to BalloonSat Big Bang.

Next flight < 2 weeks:

To fly within two weeks, the five 9V and two AA lithium batteries need to be replaced and reconnected. The memory for the AVR needs to be erased and the payload rearmed. Also, the camera memory needs to be erased and the memory card relocked. The cube will then need to be resealed using hot glue for any side not considered to be the lid and aluminum tape for the lid and all other sides. Immediately prior to launch the switches should be switched on in the proper order, power then G-switch (also labeled 1 and 2 respectively).

Next flight > 2 weeksIf the BalloonSat is stored for more than two weeks, all batteries still need to be

replaced but should remain disconnected to maximize battery life and protect the hardware. The memory for the AVR needs to be erased and the payload rearmed. Also, the camera memory needs to be erased and the memory card relocked. Before resealing the cube the batteries should be checked to be properly connected. Immediately prior to launch the switches should be switched on in the proper order, power then G-switch (also labeled 1 and 2 respectively).

A convenient checklist/procedure list on how to do the above actions:

Checklist and Procedures: Reprogramming the AVR:

1. Bring up the AVR studio and open the correct project2. Hit F7 or the Debug button and check if it’s ok to continue, warnings are ok.3. Disconnect power to the AVR board4. Attach the white cable to the header closest to the corner of the board.5. Turn the AVR board on6. Hit the button that says “AVR” on AVR studio.

a. Choose the correct file pathb. Check that the memory will overwritec. Hit the program button in the Hex section

7. Disconnect power8. Programming Complete

Arming/Disarming the AVR:1. Disconnect/turn off the AVR 2. Open the Data Retrieval Utility


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Someone will definitely understand how to use your satellite with this. Nice job.

Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Great.


3. Connect the rainbow cord to the header closer to the center (not the one used above).

4. Reconnect power/turn on AVR5. Choose check armed status6. Then Arm/Disarm

Downloading Data:1. Follow above steps to disarm the AVR2. Once disarmed choose Read Portion or Entire memory3. Choose file location4. Choose which part of Data to retrieve (if not reading all), groups of 200,000 are

recommended if using Excel to analyze

Parsing Data:1. Open the Data Parser Utility2. Choose the file that the data was downloaded to 3. Choose a file name for the new parsed data4. Fill in the other options (Specific to the BalloonSat Big Bang)

a. Number of sensors: 5b. Sensor order, bit size and counting box:

i. X-High, 2 bits, do not check the counting optionii. Y-High, 2 bits, do not check the counting option

iii. Temperature, 2 bits, do not check the counting optioniv. Pressure, 2 bits, do not check the counting optionv. Geiger Counter, 1 bit, CHECK the counting option

Erasing memory:1. Follow above sets for DISARMING and disarm the AVR2. Choose erase memory on the Data Retrieval Utility and erase

Camera Initialization:1. Erase pictures by unlocking the card and erasing them2. RELOCK the memory card or the camera program won’t run!

Prior to Launch:1. Make sure the AVR is programmed2. Erase the AVR memory3. Arm the payload4. Make sure the Camera’s memory card has no previous pictures and is in the

locked position.5. Check battery connections6. Check all header connections and use hot glue to seal them


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Very important. Good idea to have this.


7. Secure stray wires and ensure none can come in direct contact with the heating resistors

8. Tape/secure the switches in the off position to prevent accidental activation9. Seal the box, use hot glue and aluminum tape on all sides not touching the lid

(hobo is located on the lid), use only aluminum tape on the lid.Launch:

1. Make sure the camera has not moved and that the lens will deploy freely2. Turn on the power switch also labeled “1”3. Turn on the G-switch also labeled “2”4. Double check to see that the camera lens has deployed and that the camera is

taking pictures (may get stuck and look on or simply retract)a. If camera fails to deploy properly and if time permits:

i. DO NOT TURN OFF POWER!ii. Open the lid, find the wires connecting the AVR to the camera and

disconnect it.iii. Reposition the camera to allow the lens to deployiv. Using a piece of metal short the wires coming from the camera by

sticking the metal into the header. v. Check to again to see if the camera has properly deployed, if not

repeat aligning and shorting processb. If camera fails to deploy and time does not permit/shorting method doesn’t

work:i. Tape the camera hole shut.

5. Ready to fly

11.0 Conclusions and Lessons Learned

Our team has learned quite a lot this semester while building our satellite. The most valuable thing that we have learned is the process that goes into designing, building, testing, and launching a satellite. This is valuable to us in the future because we now have an understanding of what to expect with future engineering projects and our senior year projects. We also learned that it is helpful to have team members who are good at a lot of different technical areas, such as computers, programming, electrical, science, and structural design and building. This is to prevent getting stuck in one area where no one knows what to do.

Team Alpha also learned the importance of testing and making sure every piece of our satellite works correctly. Without all of the extensive testing we did, we may not have had a successful flight. But thanks to the amount of testing that we were able to accomplish, we felt confident on launch day that we would have a successful mission, and it turned out that we did have a successful flight.

The last thing of great importance that we learned is that knowing the pre-launch procedure, as well as practicing it, is very important. If the switches weren’t flipped in the correct order,



we could have ended up with no data at all. This happened during a mission simulation test , so practicing was key to making sure there were no human errors on launch day. We also learned that it is critical to understand the procedure of data retrieval, because if done incorrectly, all data that was achieved during flight could have been lost. We were able to practice this as well several times and later had a successful data retrieval.

If we could re-do this class, there are a few things we would have done differently. One thing would be to better understand what needed to be done with our experiment before committing to such a complicated process. Initially we thought we would be able to simply buy a Geiger counter and place it on the satellite, with only a small amount of testing. This was not the case. We also realized that the interfacing and programming was much more complicated than we thought. Knowing ahead of time that we had to build, program, and test one would have given us more time to figure out the procedure, get help with it, and build it correctly the first time. We also thought that we needed to find our own tubing and several other pieces for the satellite, and so it would have been less stressful if we had known that we would be receiving these things from the beginning. In general, we feel that understanding this project overall from the beginning is what we would have done differently.

12.0 Message to Next semester

Gateway to Space will be everything that Chris describes to you on the first day: fun, challenging, a great experience, and a lot of work. Don’t underestimate the intensity of the work you will be taking on, but also don’t be intimidated by the amount of work, because this will most likely be your favorite class in freshman year and it will be a class you’ll never forget. The day that you finally launch your satellite which you have spent so many hours working on will be incredibly rewarding, but there are a few things that Team Alpha would recommend doing to make this a more enjoyable experience for you.

First off, get to know your team. You will be spending a lot of time with them. Becoming friends with all of them will make this project a lot more fun and getting over difficult challenges along the way will be significantly easier if you can interact with all of your team members well. Also, when choosing the experiment your team will do, you don’t need to go overly complex. Simple experiments will do just fine and there’s no reason to make your life harder then it needs to be. Teams that chose really complex projects often had to either dumb down the experiment or change it all together because there was no way to accomplish their goals in the timeline given. You also need to be careful with time. Don’t put your project off for too long, or you will find that there is not enough time for sufficient testing, which is one of the most important parts in this project.

This class may seem overwhelming, but getting A’s and B’s is not difficult. As long as you put effort forward and take the time to do a good job with all of the work you do, it will pay off. Make sure to do well on the proposal, design documents, and revisions, because they are worth a lot of points and can easily boost your grade as well as improve your understanding of your project. They are not very difficult as long as you break up the work, edit it well, and get started on them early. The next important point is to look ahead on the schedule. Know how long you have to get everything done and you will do fine. Getting an early start on


Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Be sure to put the “final conclusions” that you had in your data analysis section here, so the reader knows what you learned from your data..

Jennifer, 12/12/09,

Good thing that you caught it early.


things will give plenty of time to get help on any problems which you are sure to run into, and this will give you enough time to finish your satellite and test sufficiently.

Finally, give this class your all, and it will give back to you. All the stress is worth it because in the end you’ll find yourself wanting to show everyone your flight pictures and tell them about your satellite and how it works. You will have so much more knowledge about engineering and what is necessary to become an engineer than if you never took this class. The experience will leave a lasting impact on you and it is an amazing opportunity to have as a freshman. How many undergraduate college students can say that they have successfully launched and recovered something they built by hand into space? This class will be more beneficial to you then any other, so have fun and try your best!


Date post:	19-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	vodieu
View:	216 times
Download:	2 times

8.0 Launch And Recovery - Co Space Grant · Web viewResearch, Structure, Thermal, Science Anthony...

Documents