1 2004 Team Jared Schott John Shoots Nate

1

2004 Team Jared Schott John Shoots Nate Stockey Caitlin Vanderbush Mike Wilson Stephanie Sprague Josh Shreve 2

METEOR BACKGROUND • To our knowledge, METEOR is the first, university-based, project in the world whose ultimate goal is to launch and place small payloads: – (1) In low Earth Orbit, – (2) on near Earth asteroids, and – (3) lunar surfaces will serve as launching point for future projects, experiments, and research • Benefits of Launching from upper atmosphere – <1% atmospheric density of sea level • Less parasitic drag. Rockets can be launched without payload caps – Eliminates the need for permanent ground launch facilities – Enables launches from different latitudes 3

Project Objective: Design a recoverable, airborne, high altitude, balloon tethered, 3 -axes stabilized platform for future small rocket launches and near space scientific experiments Challenges: To design a system for the rigors of near space (>80, 000’), • <1% atmospheric density • High temperature range • Fast and high temperature changes • Radiation • Limited weight 4

Balloon System Architecture Zero Pressure Balloon Cut-Down Device Parachute Platform 5

Design – Accommodate 2 lb Rocket – Stepper Motor Orientation Device – 6 lb platform/payload weight limit – Simulated payload • High Definition Digital Camera 6

System Block Diagram Digital Compass 7

Flight Computer/FPGA • Altera Apex 20 K Development Board – Nios Processor @ 33. 33 MHz • 32 bit Processor Core • Virtually Unlimited Serial Ports • Architecture is Defined via GUI/Block Diagram – 5 V Digital I/Os through custom daughter-card – 1 Mbyte FLASH Memory • 512 Kbytes Data Memory • Allows Storage of Two Processor Layouts 8

Communications • Kenwood TH-D 7 A(G) – Built in TNC – APRS Capable • Global Positioning System (GPS) – Navman Jupiter 8 – NMEA Compatible • Non-System beacon – 147. 80 MHz • 7 messages in Morse Code 9

ATV and High Resolution Camera • Amateur Television (ATV) – Downlink Only: 439. 25 MHz (Cable Channel 60) • Low Resolution Board Camera – Monitor payload • Video TX • Video OSD • High Resolution Camera • 5 Mega Pixel Camera Donated by • Payload (first mission) 10

Cut-down Device • Why do we need a cut-down device? – Detach balloon from system after mission phase is complete – Satisfy FAA requirements • Ni. Chrome wire – Melts through fishing line when sufficient current passed through • 2 Methods of current activation for redundancy – Wireless System • KEYFOB TX on platform, RX on cut-down device • Passes current through Ni. Chrome upon command – PIC Controller (Microchip 12 F 675) • Redundancy in case of system failure • Cuts down after pre-programmed time 11

Power • Batteries – Three Battery Packs • Ultra. Life 9 Volt Lithium Batteries • Regulated to 5 Volts – 2 batteries in parallel » Stepper Motor • 9 Volts – 6 batteries in parallel » Nios and connected circuitry • Regulated to 12 Volts – 3 sets of 2 batteries in series in parallel » ATV (Video TX, OSD, Low-Res Camera) – Donated by 12

Sensors • Magnetic Compass – Heading information • Pressure • Temperature (Internal, External) • Accelerometer – X, Y, Z acceleration – Donated by 13

Tracking/Recovery • Ground Station – Mobile Equipment Used • Van, Laptops, 2 m XCVR, GPS, Antennas (Mobile, Yagi), Maps (Aeronautical, Road), TV/VCR, Cell Phones – Positions • Range Officer, Flight Director, Communications, Sensors, Dynamics, Payload, Cap. Com, Recovery Teams 14

Dynamic Simulation • Atmospheric Soundings for current wind conditions • Updatable APRS data from the platform • Flight Predictions • Buoyant forces • Velocity based drag • Elevation based gas property lookups 15

• Descent path, landing position and mapping • Location recalculated to Longitude and Latitude • Necessary to assess optimal cut-down time and landing location • Post-Mission analysis for improvement of model 16

Survivability Enclosure 17

Conclusions • Senior Design Requirements – Provided a prototype of launch platform – Includes necessary hardware to conduct successful launch • Improvements/Suggestions – – Carbon Fiber Structure Batteries that can provide more current Lower power consumption Integrated orientation control system 18

Questions? 19

BACKUP 20

Motivation for New Design • Motivation – Smaller Rocket – Federal Aviation Administration Regulations • Ease of launching – Senior Design Schedule 21

GROUND AX. 25 Packet Encoder LAPTOP RS-232 Interface AX. 25 Packet Decoder PLATFORM 2 m Mobile 144 MHz Transceiver Handheld 144 MHz Transceiver 70 cm Packet Modem AX. 25 Packet Encoder RS-232 AX. 25 Packet Decoder Interface Nios Packet Modem LNA VCR TV Display Amateur TV Receiver Amateur TV Transmitter Video OSD LR Cam RS-232 Emergency DF Setup 2 m Beacon 22

• Ascent and Recovery Stage – Balloon • Zero-Pressure Balloon – Allows for pressure to equilibrate • Initial Volume of 357. 9 ft 2 • Final Volume of 19, 000 ft 2 – Parachute • 5 ft diameter nylon • Terminal Velocity of 22 ft/s 23

Rules & Regulations • Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations • Part 101: Moored Balloons, Kites, Unmanned Rockets and Unmanned Free Balloons • Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations • Part 97: Amateur Radio Service 24