Brad Lester, Brad Schoolman, Brandon Ng, Bryan Wessale,
Christopher Schumacher
AEM Spaceflight with Ballooning
Mission Overview
Objectives
1. To send a sub-orbital payload up to between 80,000 and 90,000 ft
carrying equipment for data collection.
2. To test the affect of altitude on solar intensity through the use of solar
panels. We expect to prove that with increased altitude comes increased
intensity leading to greater voltage output from the panels.
3. To test how frequency changes with atmospheric pressure. We expect
frequency to increase because there is less resistance.
4. To analyze the chaos and shredding of the balloon at point of burst. We
expect to show how the balloon pops and at what velocity.
*Frequency of sound waves (microphone)
*Voltage output as a function of altitude (solar panels)
*Rate of shredding (video camera)
*Pressure and Temperature (HOBO data recorder and
required sensor)
Chris S.
Provides leadership and direction.
Integral in design and conception. Also
works slightly on build. Worked on
temperature and pressure analysis and
calibrating the HOBO data. Delegates
components of the documentation to
group members. Is responsible for the first
couple of slides.
Brandon N.
Co-leader, Main builder, tester, and
document writer. Directly assists in
design. Was responsible for the
pressure calibration and the preflight
testing slides.
Bryan W.
Brad S.
Built and designed payload box.
Finished putting the pieces
together with our devices
before launch day. Was
responsible for the temperature
calibration. Is also responsible
for the Science Results slide.
Works slightly on design and
building of the payload box.
Works mainly on presentation.
Brad was responsible for the
day of the flight slides.
Brad L.
Provides some conceptual and
design ideas. Helped build box
and went on the chase. Was
responsible for analysis of the
audio files and the “burst”
analysis. Was also responsible
for the expected science results
slide.
•Four independent systems;
-Flight Computer System
-Camcorder
-Audio recorder
-Solar Array System
•Objects must be
physically connected by
wires in order to work
requiring close proximity
between the components
Planned Layout
*Matched what was needed for out payload
*Did not include a method of securing the
components to the payload itself
*There was plenty of room within the payload
Actual Layout
*Required less space than was initially
thought necessary
*Components that need a connection are
placed close to one another.
Interior post-flight featuring the flight computer,
heating circuit, and microphone
•The construction was one of
the more time consuming
enterprises that we as group
encountered.
• It involved many thoughts
such as distance needed to
travel in order to connect the
components
• All components fit inside the
payload with a considerable
amount of access room.
Things to Note:
•There is plenty of room
inside of the payload even
if if contains all
components.
•This can lead to things
becoming lose and
damaging themselves.
•The opening to the box is
not actually the top
because we needed the
camera to remain
stationary for the duration
*Hobo collected all of our data for the following
experiments:
- Voltage Test One (Solar panels on top)
Tested voltage output (computer program)
- Voltage Test Two (Solar panels on the sides)
Tested voltage output (computer program)
- Internal Temperature
- Internal Pressure
*We used a HOBO® which has two input jacks for
use in out tests, of which only two are recorded by
the HOBO®.
*The HOBO® recorded data every 7 seconds from
initiation of the program
Mass and Cost Budget
cost
DXG DXG-569V 5MPixel HD video camera with SD memory card
$210.00
0.176
1
External (lithium) battery pack for video camera
$ 10.00
0.080
1
BASIC Stamp I flight computer and switch plate
$ 56.00
0.063
Battery pack for flight computer
$ 5.00
Weather station sensor pack
mass (kg)
Quantity
Total Cost
Total
Mass (kg)
$210
0.0176
$
10.00
0.080
1
$
56.00
0.063
0.110
1
$
5.00
0.110
$ 29.00
0.012
1
$
29.00
0.012
6" x 6" x 6" payload box built out of styrofoam
$ 8.00
0.205
1
$
8.00
0.205
miniature solar panels
$ 8.00
0.008
7
$
56.00
0.056
HOBO data logger (thermometer and relative humidity sensor built in)
$105.00
0.027
1
$
105.00
0.027
HOBO temperature sensor probe
$ 28.00
0.010
1
$
28.00
0.010
Heater circuit and switch
$ 5.00
0.027
1
$
5.00
0.027
Battery pack for heater
$ 6.00
0.150
1
$
6.00
0.150
Microphone Recorder
$ 45.00
0.160
1
$
45.00
0.016
Microphone Attachment
$ 25.00
0.007
1
$
25.00
0.007
Extra Wires
$ 13.00
.400
1
$
13.00
.400
$
571.00
1.3965
Payload Pre-flight Testing
• Heater Circuit Testing
Temperature (C) vs. Time (Hr)
of Heater Circuit
60
Temperature in Celcuis
50
40
30
Temperature (*C) (*4)
20
10
0
4:48:00 PM
7:12:00 PM
9:36:00 PM
12:00:00 AM
Time
2:24:00 AM
4:48:00 AM
7:12:00 AM
Pre-Flight Testing Cont.
• Thermal Testing
– Microphone
• Payload box cooled to -90 degrees celsius.
• Microphone stayed in operation for the three minutes
of testing.
Pre-Flight Testing Cont.
• Solar Panels
– Linked in series, Uncovered
• 4 panels
– Generated about 2 volts under florescent room light
• 3 Panels
– Generated about 1.5 volts under florescent room light
Pre-Flight Testing Cont.
• Switch Plate Testing
– Light flickered on and off
• Re-soldered wires to switch
– Pull cord had a resistance of infinity
• Re-soldered pull cord to the correct spefications
Pre-Flight Testing Cont.
• Flight Computer
– Pressure Sensor
• Recorded pressure increases as actual pressure on the
sensor increased
– Temperature Sensor
• Did not record any changes as actual temperature
increased
– Professor Flaten made changes
» Test 2 recorded changes as actual temperature increased
Pre-Flight Testing Cont.
• Other Pre-Flight tests that would have been
valuable
– Solar panel testing with Mylar covers
– Battery longevity testing
– Payload thermal testing
Expected Science Results
• Temperature vs. Altitude
• Initial expectation
•Temperature falls as altitude increases
• Expectation after research
•Temperature falls to -50 degrees Fahrenheit at about 50,000ft
Expected Science Results
• Pressure vs. Altitude
• Expectation
– Pressure falls with altitude
Expected Science Results
• Sound vs. Altitude
• Initial expectation
– Pitch will change as altitude increases
– Sound will become more quiet
Expected Science Results
• Balloon size, blackness of sky vs. Altitude
• Expectation of Balloon
– Balloon will expand as altitude increases
– Obvious, with decrease in pressure
• Expectation of blackness
– Blackness starts at center of camera, opens up
Expected Science Results
• Voltage output of Solar Panels vs. Altitude
• Expectation
– Less molecules in the air
– Less “stuff” in the way
– More sunlight will hit solar panels
– More energy generated
Flight Day
• Overall it was a decent flight.
• Some things needed to be fixed before the
flight.
• We got everything to work, and everything was
strapped in.
Preflight
• Styrofoam didn’t work well as far as sealing the
box.
The Chase
Post-Flight
• Great landing.
• The status of the
equipment was about
half-and-half.
• Nothing was very cold.
• Some wires had popped
out.
• The filters on the solar
panels were completely
torn apart.
Technical Difficulties
• After the flight, the camera seemed to be
“frozen”.
• For some reason, the camera didn’t seem to
have recorded anything.
• Still having trouble with the video.
• The batteries in the recording device had died
but we managed to get a long enough
recording.
Science Results
Pressure Data
•Conclusion: Our pressure data relatively fit
to the change in altitude. The pressure
decreased when altitude increased, and the
pressure increased when the altitude
decreased.
•The pressure and altitude graphs both
roughly peaked around 105 minutes to 115
minutes.
GopherLaunch 12: Altitude vs Time
100000
Balloon reaches peak altitude
around 115 minutes.
90000
80000
Pressure in psi over time
Altitude (feet)
70000
16
14
pressure
12
60000
50000
Series1
40000
30000
10
20000
8
Series1
10000
6
0
4
0.00
50.00
100.00
Time (minutes)
2
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
-2
time
Roughly peak flight, around 105 minutes,
pressure reaches minimum value.
150.00
200.00
Temperature Data
• Conclusion: Not all, but some of our temperature data
graph did fit our graph of altitude. As the altitude
increases from the flight time of 0 minutes to around
55 minutes, the temperature decreases.
• But around 55 minutes the temp increases till around
105 minutes, which is around peak altitude. This might
be because the heater could have started to take
affect.
• But after the balloon popped the temp decreased
dramatically, about 60 degrees C, but then slowly rose
for the rest of the flight.
Temperature (C) vs Time
Balloon reaches peak altitude
around 115 minutes.
30
20
GopherLaunch 12: Altitude vs Time
Temperature(K)
100000
90000
80000
10
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
-10
-20
Series1
-30
70000
Altitude (feet)
-40
60000
-50
50000
-60
Series1
-70
40000
time
30000
20000
10000
0
0.00
50.00
100.00
Time (minutes)
150.00
200.00
Around 105 minutes near
peak altitude of flight.
Audio Experiment
• Initial Hypothesis: As altitude increased the frequency of
the sound beacon would shorten, giving the sound beacon a
higher pitch.
• Conclusion: Experiment didn’t show the expected results. As
the altitude increased the frequency stayed the same, except
for the volume of the beacon. As the altitude increased the
volume decreased.
• Experiment Problems: Our audio recorder ran out of
battery power, but luckily the video recorder recorded the
audio for the flight.
Solar Panel Experiment
• Hypothesis: Record the voltage input change of the
solar panels as the altitude increased.
• Conclusion: The experiment was inconclusive. The
solar panels tapped out at a voltage around 2.456 V,
when the max was supposed to be around 5 V. So the
full test of was not able to be carried out fully.
• Faults:
The Mylar foil over the panels might not have been
placed on properly, or the settings for the HOBO might not
have been set up correct.
Visual Experiment
• Hypothesis: Our video camera was to be used
to help out the Rockettes on their experiment
of the ideal gas law.
• We placed the camera upwards, facing the
balloon to watch the expansion of the balloon,
and for the popping of the balloon.
The balloon starts the pop from a single
point and starts to tear across the balloon.
As the Balloon pops, the general shape of the balloon is
still kept. The balloon still tears across it in one direction.
Visual Experiment
• Conclusion: We concluded that by the end of
ascension, the balloon increased in size to
around 30 ft in diameter.
• The average velocity of the balloon popping is
distance/time. The whole popping of the
balloon took less than one frame (1/30 of one
second) to go 30 ft. Which would give the
popping a velocity of over 900 ft/sec.
Solar Panels: We had inconclusive data as to the meaning of our data
because the voltage maxed out at slightly over 2.5 V when the
panels were rated for 5 V output when saturated.
Audio Recording: We disproved our hypothesis that frequency would
change as altitude increased. Instead we proved that volume
is what decreases as altitude increases. This is because there
is less air for the sound waves to travel through.
Video Recording: We showed that the burst rate of the balloon was
significantly fast reaching velocities greater than 900 ft/s as
can be best guessed from still photos.
Temperature and Pressure Recordings: We showed that temperature
primarily decreases as altitude increases, with few variations.
We also proved showed that pressure is continually
decreasing as altitude increases.
1. Solar Panels: Another option would be to try different kinds of Mylar and
other filters to determine which the best would be for trying to measure the
change in intensity of solar radiation as altitude increases.
2. Audio Recorder: A way to take this experiment further would be to test for
the change in volume of a consistent noise (siren). This would yield far
better data for determining the relationship between air density and sound.
3. Video Recorder: A useful video that might be valuable is a video of the
payloads from the bottom of the topmost payload that would record the
movements of the payloads. This would determine the abuse and chaos
that ensues as both during assent and during the fall.
Always ask for what exactly is
expected of you before you decide
to do it. Taking on less is always
better than taking on more than
you can handle or expected.
Always set an alarm for important
meetings. No matter how
important they may seem you
still might forget about them.
It takes less work to get something
done early, than do get something
done late.
Give yourself a break and get-er-done.
A special thanks goes out to
Scott Balaban, our mentor and
advisor, who helped us plan out
several important aspects of our
experiment.