Colorado Space Grant Consortium
GATEWAY TO SPACE
FALL 2012
DESIGN REVIEW - REVISION D
TEAM ORION
Written By:
Jack Oblack
Dylan Anderson
Eric Hardwick
Devon Connor
Evan Long
Jaevyn Faulk
Lucas Ibarra
Alexis Sutker
1
Table of Contents
1. Mission Overview………………………………….2
2. Requirements Flow Down……………………….....3
3. Design………………………………………………4
4. Management………………………………………..9
5. Budget………………………………………………9
6. Test Plan, Safety, and Results……………………..11
7. Expected Results…………………………………..13
8. Launch and Recovery……………………………..13
9. Results and Anaylsis……………………………....15
10. Ready for flight……………………………………26
11. Conclutions and Lessons Learned…………………27
12. Message to next Semester…………………………27
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
2
1.0 Mission Overview
Mission Statement:
The mission of Team Orion is to develop a BalloonSat with a payload that will
collect data on ultraviolet radiation to serve a dual purpose: to allow us to compare our
relevant data with past records of the sun’s activity, as well as find a correlation between
altitude and strength of UV rays.
Mission Overview
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the frequency of
solar storms has been increasing in the last 3 years. This December and the beginning of
2013 is the peak of solar activity in the 11-year sunspot cycle of the sun, wherein a
greater amount of UV radiation has a higher probability of occurring. The increase in
solar activity has led to an upsurge in the amount of radiation that impacts the earth’s
atmosphere – specifically UVA and UVB rays. Sunspots and solar flares release large
quantities of UVA and UVB radiation that can cause satellites to experience increased
drag and interruption of communication. The UV-B Monitoring and Research Program
was started to monitor the amount of radiation that is reaching agriculture and forests,
and has stated that UVB rays have the largest solar impact on the health of crops. In
addition, The World Health Organization states that UVA radiation is also harmful to life
on Earth and can cause damage on a cellular level (http://www.who.int/uv/health/en/).
Since UVA rays have a wavelength of 315-400 nanometers, it is close to that of visible
light, and 70% to 95% penetrates through the atmosphere. UVB rays are even more
damaging to life; however, UVB rays are at a shorter wavelength – 280-315 nm - and
almost all the rays are absorbed by
the ozone layer. With the increase
of solar activity, we believe that
more radiation is encountering
earth’s atmosphere and, therefore,
more is reaching the life on earth
(http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/spectra/
am1.5/). Also, with an increased
amount of UVB rays, the
atmosphere absorbs more energy,
resulting in higher temperatures.
With our ultraviolet radiation
sensors, we will determine how
much UV radiation is penetrating
http://www.gosunsmart.org/index.shtml
the atmosphere at different
altitudes. Also, we will determine if the amount of ultraviolet radiation present is more or
less than the data found at several research institutions. We will compare our information
to data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) – which is based in
Boulder, Colorado, and the UV-B Monitoring and Research Program – located at
Colorado State University. As our BalloonSat rises in altitude, we hypothesize that there
will be a minimum increase in UVA detection, and, conversely, there will be a large
increase in UVB detected. We also hypothesize that the levels of UV radiation detected
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
3
will be higher than that of past years. If our hypothesis were correct, it would suggest that
there is indeed an increase in solar activity. If this were the case, it would be important to
follow up on our research, as solar activity has a great impact on life on earth:
communication satellites could be at risk, damage to life on a cellular level could occur,
and there would be a heightened risk of damage to the electric grid at higher altitudes. If
the solar activity is increasing, there is the possibility of large solar flares happening that
would cause even more damage. However, if our data proves that there is less solar
activity currently, than previous years, it would suggest the possibility that the peak of
solar activity has already occurred or our sensors did not work. Either outcome would be
able to be compared to NCAR data to see what really has happened.
Our BalloonSat will be equipped with one UVA and two UVB detectors located on
top of the structure. We will also have two UVA detectors on the ground, to have a
control in the experiment. The UVA detectors are TSL235R – Light to Frequency
Converters, which are temperature-compensated sensors for the wavelength range of 320
nanometers to 700 nanometers. To collect accurate data the sensors will be covered with
photo-film to filter out the visible light spectrum and leave only UVA wavelengths. The
UVB detectors will be the SiC UV-BC Photodiode Sensor and the AlGan-0.8D-300
Photodiode, and these sensors’ outputs will be amplified by the Multifunction Amplifier
Board from Boston Electronics.
Along with our UV sensing payload, we will fly two cameras on our BalloonSat:
a Canon A570IS Digital Camera to take pictures, and a Go Pro Hero 3 camera that will
record high definition video of the flight. The GoPro is for seeing what the entire flight is
like rather than just seeing a still shot. Our objective with the two cameras is to provide
video and picture representation of the curvature of the earth.
2.0 Requirements Flow Down
In order to achieve a successful operation of the BalloonSat of mission
Andromeda team Orion has derived a series of fundamental requirements based on basic
mission objectives and the mission statement. All higher level requirements are based and
supported by any and all requirements below them; with level 2 and above being the
higher level requirements. The level 0 requirements specify the primary mission
objectives, level 1 requirements identify the systems and secondary objectives necessary
to achieve the level 1 requirements. All higher level requirements follow the same format
stating the subsystems and objectives necessary to accomplish the requirements of the
lower levels.
Number
Requirement
Originates from
Level 0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
Team Orion
Instruments
The BalloonSat will collect electromagnetic radiation at
Ultraviolet-A wavelengths as a function of altitude.
The BalloonSat will measure internal and external
conditions.
BalloonSat will take in-flight pictures
Structure
The BalloonSat will be survive to near space conditions.
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
December 12, 2012
4
0.5
0.6
0.7
We will meet all the RFP requirements
Testing/Data
Compare Data with NCAR Data.
Will test all programmed systems
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
Mission Statement
Level 1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
Instruments
Will fly six UVA sensors and two UVB photodiodes.
BalloonSat will fly a GoPro Hero III and a Canon A780
Will fly pressure sensors, temperature sensors, acceleration
sensors, and humidity sensors.
Structure
The BalloonSat will be contained within a rigid, insulated
foam core structure.
Testing/Data
ArduinoUno will be programmed to record all data to an SD
card.
Sensors will be calibrated to known conditions
Level 2
Instruments
Sensors will record data to micro SD card attached to the
ArduinoUno
Both cameras will record to an internal SD card
Structure
Instruments will be attached to structure with Velcro and/or
hot glue
Testing/Data
All programs will be verified prior to launch
0.1
0.3
0.2
0.4 and 0.5
0.7
0.7
1.3 an 1.1
1.2
1.4
1.5
3.0 Design
The design of our structure is one of the most important aspects of our project.
Some of the basic things that this mission will require out of the structure is to rise up to
approximately 30km and then fall back down to the earth, with a parachute slowing it
down, and survive an impact with the ground at about 8 m/s. To do this we are building
our structure out of a rigid material called foam core. It is easily cut and formed into the
shape of our structure yet it is rigid enough to hold up against the force of impact and
keep all of our instruments safe. This foam core will be held together with hot glue on the
inside and aluminum tape on the outside. These will keep the foam core from coming
apart at the seams and can brace weak areas such as corners. The structure's size and
shape are basic for the main reason that it does not have to be complicated. The
dimensions of the structure are 15cm by 15cm by 15cm cube that is ideal for holding all
of our instruments and balancing the weight of our structure. By keeping the structures
exterior simple it will allow us with more time to focus on the more complicated aspects
of our project like writing the code for all the sensors.
Another obstacle we need to overcome is keeping all the components and
instruments of our BalloonSat warm enough to operate. One of our requirements is that
the BalloonSat is that the interior temperature is not to fall below -10 C. To do this our
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
5
structure will be insulated and will use a heater. The heater runs off of three 9V batteries
and is turned on and off by a switch. This switch will be mounted on the outside of our
structure and will be easily turned off and on before launch. This is not our only
temperature concern. We will be using several light to frequency converters and a UVB
sensor that need to be placed near the outside of our structure to capture the data that we
need. The problem here is that they need to be warmer than -25 C to function. Our
original design had them placed on the exterior of the structure so that they could easily
collect data. This has been reconsidered because the exterior of our BalloonSat will be
exposed to about -60 C during flight which is too cold for these sensors. In an attempt to
keep them warm we will make windows in the sides and top of the box. This will keep
warm air in while still allowing the sensors detect the data that they need. The windows
will be cone like structures that have the wide end facing out. The sensors will then sit
on the tips with the data collectors facing the outside.
Our Light to Frequency sensors are exactly what the name implies. They measure
the intensity of all light between the wavelengths of 320nm to 700nm. For our
experiment we only want UVA radiation which is 320nm to 400nm. To get accurate data
we will filter out the visible light that reaches the sensor. To do this we will use camera
film which, when blacked out, filters out the visible light only letting the UVA radiation
reach the sensor. This camera film will be mounted on the window that the sensor looks
out so that no visible light will penetrate into the structure and the sensor only captures
UVA radiation.
We will be using a UVB sensor from Boston Electronics. This sensor is our most
expensive and important sensor. Due to the cost, we are forced to be limited to only two
of this particular sensor. Due to our belief that the best data will be collected from the top
of our BalloonSat we will place this sensor here. Two of the UVA sensors will also be
placed here. Like the UVA sensor, the UVB sensor also needs to be insulated so that it
does not reach a temperature of over -25 C. We will use the same technique as we will
for the UVA sensors. On the top of the BalloonSat we will have two windows on
opposite sides of the hole (for the cable attaching us to the balloon). Two windows will
not contain camera film and will have the UVB sensor placed to collect data through it.
The other window will have the camera film filter and contain two light to frequency
converters. One light to frequency converter will filter out UVA light with a piece of
camera film and two will not be covered with anything.
The BalloonSat will also contain two cameras. The first is a Canon Powershot
SD780IS. It will take pictures throughout the flight approximately every 10 seconds. The
camera is powered by an internal battery, and the pictures will be stored on an internal
SD card. The other Camera is a GoPro Hero 3. Like the other camera it has self-contained
memory and power. It will be turned on using a toggle switch that presses the button on
the camera. By doing this it is entirely separate from the rest of the subsystems. This is
good because then if the Arduino were to fail then we will still have HD video of the
flight. The GoPro has a light mounted on it so we can view this light to ensure that the
camera is on.
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
6
Design Diagram Opened
Holes for
sensors
GoPro
Plastic
Tube
Batteries
Arduino
Heater
Canon
Powershot
(all units in cm)
Components:





Arduino Uno(has SD shield, development board, accelerometer, pressure
sensor, humidity sensor, vibration sensor and temperature sensor attached)
Canon Powershot
Batteries
GoPro
Heater
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
7
Design Diagram Closed
GoPro Lens
(all units in cm)
Components:


Squares are windows for sensors
Circle in corner is the GoPro lens
Block Diagram
The balloon Sat is made up of five major subsystems that are expressed in the
functional block diagram. There are two that are controlled through a set of arduinos. The
first is the arduino that records data about standard things that will help us analyze the
data. These sensors include a pressure sensor, humidity sensor, accelerometer and two
temperature sensors, one mounted externally and one place internally. This is turned on
by a switch and powered by a 9V battery. The second arduino has the experimental data
sensors. It has two UVB sensors and a UVA sensor. The UVA sensor is controlled by the
arduino. The UVB sensors need to be run through their own multiboard so that they
would gather data that we could use. That multiboard is powered by a pair of 9V batteries
and has its own switch. In addition to that the arduino itself is powered by a 9V battery
and is controlled by a switch. For the subsystem to work both of the switches need to be
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
8
turned on. The other three subsystems are not controlled by the arduinos in any way. Two
of these subsystems are cameras and one is the heater. The camera that takes still pictures
is the Canon A780. This camera has a self contained power and storage. The camera is
already preprogrammed to turn on and start taking pictures every 5-10 seconds. The
camera is turned on by a switch. The camera cannot be turned off by the switch though so
the only way to turn it off is to manually turn the camera off. The second camera is a
GoPro Hero 3 silver edition. Like the Canon A780 this camera is self contained. The
camera has a micro SD card for memory and a rechargeable battery that is part of the
camera. The camera is turned on by a manual toggle. This means that the buttons needed
to turn on the camera are accessible from the exterior of the box and can be easily pushed
with a pencil. When turned on the camera makes several loud beeps and also has a light
that shows its recording. The last subsystem is a heater. This is very important because
the box will experience really cold temperatures. The heater consist of three 9V batteries,
a switch, and a heater block. When the switch is turned on then the heater block uses the
energy from the batteries and heats up. The system is also equipped with a LED indicator
so that when the heater is turned on so is the LED.
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
9
4.0 Management
Jack is the team leader and does the budget management and is backed up by Alexis for
budget. Jack is in charge of getting the sponsorship and keeping the teams cost within
the budget. Alexis is in charge of testing the BalloonSat, she is backed up by Devon.
Alexis makes sure our testing is on time and correct. Multiple tests will be done. Devon
is our software lead and is backed up by Jaevyn. He is in charge of programming the
Arduino Uno and making sure everything is connected correctly to the Arduino. He also
makes sure the data is being stored properly. Jaevyn is in charge of science and he is
backed up by Lucas. Jaevyn gets together contacts, deals with all the science parts, and
he knows how everything works. Lucas is in charge of C&DH and is backed up by Eric.
Lucas analyzes the data and when we get the data back he will put it into graphs so we
can see what happened as the BalloonSat went up in elevation. Eric is systems lead and
he is backed up by Jack. Eric makes sure all the systems are working correctly once
everything is put together. He will make sure all switches and controls work properly.
Dylan is design lead and he is backed up by Evan. Dylan creates all of our drawings in
solid works and the shape of the BalloonSat. He also makes most of the decisions on
where components will go. Lastly Evan is integration lead and Dylan is his back up.
Evan makes sure everything is hooked up correctly and that is implemented correctly in
the BalloonSat. Everyone has a backup so that they can be assisted with parts that are a
lot of work and just in case something traumatic happens to the current lead. Everyone
helps with the whole building process. We have a meeting every Sunday night at 8p.m.
in the ITLL. We then have at least one more meeting every week whenever it is most
convenient for the most group members.
Schedule
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
10
Date:
9.17.12
9.19.12
9.21.12
9.24.12
9.25.12
9.27.12
9.27.12
9.28.12
9.28.12
10.1.12
10.2.12
10.2.12
10.5.12
10.5.12
10.6.12
10.7.12
10.8.12
10.12.12
10.17.12
10.18.12
Schedule:
Team Dinner Meeting @ Ted’s (7:30-9:30 pm)
Meeting for Soldering Arduino’s in ITLL (3-4:30pm)
Meeting for Soldering Arduino’s in ITLL (2-3:30pm)
Meeting in ITTL Group Work Rooms (8:00-10:30pm)
Meeting in ITTL Group Work Rooms (1-245pm)
Gateway to Space Free Class Period (930-1045am)
Meeting in ITLL Group Work Rooms (2-400) (8-1200pm)
Meeting in ITLL Group Work Rooms to Assemble Proposal (12-4pm)
Proposal Due (4pm)
Regular Team Meeting (8-10pm) for CoDR
CoDR Turn in and Presentation (930-1045)
Review of CoDR
HW 6 Due
Parts list order form due (HW 5)
Meeting in ITTL Group Work Rooms (8:00-10:30pm)
Meeting in ITTL Group Work Rooms (8:00-10:30pm)
Regular Team Meeting to discuss pCDR topics (8-10pm)
Team Meeting to work on pCDR(8:00-11:00pm)
Team Meeting to work on pCDR (8:00pm-3:00am)
pCDR and Design Document Rev A/B Due (7am)
10.22.12
Regular Team Meeting (8-11pm)
10.23.12
10.29.12
HW 7 Due
Regular Team Meeting (8-11pm)
11.1.12
11.5.12
11.12.12
11.13.12
11.15.12
11.15.12
11.16.12
11.25.12
11.26.12
11.27.12
11.27.12
11.28.12
11.29.12
11.30.12
Mid Semester Evaluations Due
Regular Team Meeting
Regular Team Meeting for Final Mission Simulation Preparedness
In Class Mission Simulation
Design Document Review Due (12pm(11.16.12))
Meeting to Work on Balloon Sat (Start 8pm)
Meeting to Work on Balloon Sat (Start 8pm)
Meeting to Work on Balloon Sat and LRR(Start 8pm)
Meeting to Work on Balloon Sat and LRR (Start 8pm)
Launch Readiness Review
Meeting to Work on Balloon Sat (Start 8pm)
Meeting to Work on Balloon Sat (Start 8pm)
Meeting to Work on Balloon Sat (Start 8pm)
Final BalloonSat Weigh in and TURN in 9am
12.1.12
12.2.12
12.11.12
Original Launch DAY (445am-400pm)
Launch DAY (445am-400pm)
Final Hardware Turn In
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
11
12.11.12
Final Presentations and Reports (6-900pm)
5.0 Budget
Our Budget is being used to its full potential with only three Dollars not
planning to be spent at this time. The Most expensive thing is the UVB Diode from
Boston Electronics, taking up about 72% of our total budget. The other main part of
our Budget is that our GoPro Hero 3 is being donated to us by a sponsor. This lets us
integrate it into our BalloonSat and does not put any dent into our Budget at all. Due
to the fact that our budget leaves so little extra money our team will also front the
money to purchase some other parts that are vital to the experiment. Such items as
dry ice, and extra 9V batteries are examples of such items. When divided evenly
between team members the total cost per team member is less than six dollars .
Our Total Budget:
Budget
$24
$197
Provided
Item
UVA Sensor
UVB Diode
Temperature sensor
Source
Sparkfun
Boston Electronics
Chris
provided
provided
provided
provided
provided
provided
Donated
Accelerometer
Humidity Sensor
Pressure Sensor
SD Shield X3
Micro SD Card
Development Board
GoPro Hero 3
Chris
Chris
Chris
Chris
Chris
Chris
Sponsor
Foam Core
Canon Powershot AD780IS
Heater
Batteries X5
Aluminum Tape
Arduino Uno X 3
Copper Wire
Insulation
Chris
Chris
Chris
Chris
Chris
Chris
Chris
Chris
Provided
Provided
Provided
Provided
Provided
Provided
Provided
Provided
TOTAL:
$221
Summary of Items Purchased By Team Members
Cost
$3.80
$11
$10
TOTAL:
Team Orion
Item
Camera Film
9V Batteries X 10
Dry Ice
Source
Mike's Camera
McGuckin's
Safeway
$24.80
December 12, 2012
12
Mass:
We had a strict weight constraints in our project of 1125 grams. This was due
to the fact that there was only 10000 grams for all eight groups. We kept this by
keeping the balloon sat small. After we had everything in the box we had Some extra
weight.
6.0 Test Plan, Safety and Results
The testing of the Project Orion satellite will include several test trials of various
testing methods. These tests are designed to ensure that the satellite meets or exceeds the
mission requirements.
These tests include several differing structure tests to ensure that the satellite will
remain in full working order after and during the flight, and that its hull will not breach or
its structure become compromised by any known or expected forces during the flight.
The first series of tests are the Whip tests, which will ensure that the satellite can
withstand the shock, vibration and forces from the cable that it will be attached to during
the flight. The second series of tests will be the Shock tests, which will ensure that the
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
13
satellite can withstand the impact of reentry when the flight ends. We will also include
Cooling tests to ensure the hull does not break down under predicted temperature
extremes or even colder temperatures.
The Arduino Uno core board will go through several tests to ensure it remains
operational through all flight conditions and that all sensors are being read and their data
is being stored. To ensure this is the case, we will test that each sensor can be read and
stored both individually and as a group all at once. We will also test to ensure that the
Arduino battery array does in fact power the Arduino, and that the heater battery array
powers the heater. We will ensure that all switches act as expected, and that all “basic”
sensors do read and report their respective values.
There will also be a series of camera tests to ensure the cameras will remain
operational throughout the flight, and afterwards, as per out mission requirements. We
will send each camera through a series of functionality tests to prove that they are flightworthy. These tests include Battery Life tests to ensure the cameras will remain
functional during the entire flight, and Data Storage tests to identify the maximum
amount of pictures or length of video we can record in the flight duration. We will also
include Calibration testing that ensures that the cameras can record properly through the
holes provided in the satellite hull, and Cooling tests to ensure that the cameras retain
their functionality in the uppermost of expected temperature extremes. There will also be
Connectivity tests that ensure the Arduino board can interface with the Canon 780, and
turn it on when the mission begins, as well as ensure that the manual toggle for the GoPro
works as planned.
We will be testing our blackened film for effectiveness and durability under the
expected conditions of the flight. Primary testing will look for effectiveness of the film
to restrict light flow to only UVA radiation. Once this is proven true and effective, as
expected, we will move on to Cooling Testing to ensure that the film does not deteriorate,
crack, or in any way compromise itself when under the temperature extremes the flight is
expected to undergo.
UVA Sensors will undergo rigorous calibration testing before being readied and
placed within the satellite. First, we will ensure the sensors read the presence of light
through darkness and brightness testing, and then we will prove the sensors can discern
different levels of light through use of simple light intensity testing. Next, we will make
sure the sensors read UVA radiation specifically, by using the blackened film, once
proven to filter UVA, and covering the sensor in a manner which mimics the filtering
array on the satellite. We will then calibrate the sensors to identify what reading
corresponds to what intensity of UVA radiation. This will be accomplished by finding an
output value for zero light, and then an output value for the light that reaches the ground
on a sunny, clear day at high noon, which is an intensity value we know from the NCAR
data. From those values we can find a scale that compares real intensity to output values,
with perhaps a tertiary source of known-intensity light.
As for the UVB sensor, we received the two sensors and the amplifier board
on November 14th, eighteen days before flight. Calibration and testing of the sensor
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December 12, 2012
14
was to be conducted at a Physics lab on campus at Colorado University; however, a
meeting scheduled for November 16th was moved to November 26th. During the
days preceding lab use, the sensor and amplifier were tested using a multimeter and
UV radiation from the sun. Testing during mid-day at the highest gain resulted in an
output of roughly 48 milli-volts. Were this value to be run through the
programming, its output would be 0.008929 on the Arduino. It was during this time
that it was determined to have the gain set at the maximum amount of 107 volts per
ampere. On November 26th, testing on the sensors was conducted at a Physics lab,
and only two sensors, an amplifier board, and a multimeter were used. Set at the
medium gain of 106 volts per ampere and with 4 milli-watts of 308nm wavelength
laser being used, the board was at its maximum output of 4.25 volts. The power of
the laser was dropped to 3.5 mW, and the gain was reduced to 105 volts per ampere.
At these settings, the output of the board was 640 milli-volts. Testing was done at
intensities from 1.5 mW to 3.5mW with a reading taken at every 0.5 mW.
Finally, we will assemble the Orion Satellite and test that all components are
functional and interact with each other as expected on the ground. We will then perform
a final Cooling test on the whole satellite, which will prove that it can function under
expected temperature extremes.
Safety
In order to maintain safety for both the members of our team and project, we will practice
careful and precautionary steps throughout the entire manufacturing and testing process.
During the time that we are constructing the BalloonSat, there will be at least two team
members working together: this guarantees that each member of the team shall not attain
any serious injuries. This precaution will also be beneficial to the inspection and
verification process in the building and testing of the BalloonSat. All testing will be
orchestrated with the utmost care having multiple team members present, which will
ensure the accuracy of record data. For all hazardous materials, i.e. dry ice, proper
safety measures for the specific material will be studied and executed. For the handling of
electronics, grounding wristbands will be worn for the prevention of electrostatic
damaging the hardware. Lastly, the team’s contact information, and an American flag
will be affixed to the exterior of the BalloonSat to alleviate concerns of terrorism and
provide a sense of safety in the local community.
7.0 Expected Results
For this particular launch of our Gateway to Space BalloonSat we expect see an increase
in solar radiation in Earth’s upper atmosphere by comparing our data to data collected by
the National Center for Atmospheric Radiation (NCAR). In addition to seeing an
increase in solar radiation, we expect every sensor to work properly. That would be the
pressure, temperature, acceleration, vibration and humidity sensors. The pressure sensor
should read pressures consistent with 30 km in altitude and the temperature sensor should
read temperatures associated with that height. The acceleration and vibration sensors
should show violent movements right after burst. The humidity sensor should also read
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
15
low measurements at peak altitude. Also the light to frequency converter and UVB
sensors should work properly. The light to frequency converter will have a piece of film
placed over it so it should only give readings for UVA light frequencies. These should
all work properly with the Arduino Uno. Additionally, the GoPro should take clear video
of the ascent and decent of the BalloonSat, capturing the curvature of the earth. The
Canon should take pictures every 10 seconds of flight. Lastly, the BalloonSat will be
able to fly again after it returns to Earth.
8.0 Launch and Recovery
On Sunday December 2nd 2012, Project Andromeda will be launched with
careful planning and proper execution. Prior to launch, all systems will be turned on via
external switches and all systems will be checked for functionality using external
indicators. Jaevyn will be responsible for the launch with supervision from the rest of the
team. All team members are expected to assist in the recovery of the balloon satellite.
After recovery, Eric will be responsible for retrieving and handling the data which will
include removing the SD card from the Arduino and uploading it to a computer for
processing. Analysis will be completed upon successful data collection to include
comparisons to NCAR data.
On December 2nd 2012, Project Andromeda was launched at about 7:10am. It
reached an altitude of 99,400 feet before the decision was made to cut the balloon and
force it to begin its decent. This decision was made because it the balloon was allowed to
continue to increase altitude then it was feared that the balloon would drift even farther
away from the expected recovery site. It landed near Venango, Nebraska, a town close to
the Colorado, Nebraska border. When found it was in the middle of a farmer's field. The
flight string was stretched out in a north easterly direction which. Because of this it can
be assumed that the parachute was floating that direction when it landed. Of the LED
indicators all were off except the indicator for the indicator for the required sensors on
the first arduino. The canon camera was turned off which was indicated by the lens being
retracted. The GoPro was off which was noticeable by the light on the camera being off.
When the satellite was spotted several pictures were taken to document how it landed and
before it was touched by anyone. Upon detachment of the Balloon Sat from the flight
string several more pictures were taken of each side. Back at the vehicle the Balloon Sat
was opened up and at this time the GoPro video was looked at and saved to several
different computers. The Canon A780 was also removed the SD card inserted into a
computer and it was then downloaded to several different computers. Upon further
inspection of the other components in the box it appeared that no connections were
broken.
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
16
9.0 Results and Analysis
Required Sensors
The required sensors for this mission were external temperature, internal
temperature, humidity, acceleration, and pressure sensors. When the satellite was given
to Chris the external temperature sensor was broken, this was unseen so the problem was
not fixed. All the other sensors worked up until 39.5 minutes into flight. After 39.5
minutes, there is bizarre spike in the internal temperature, humidity, and pressure data,
everything else stayed constant. After 39.5 minutes we used team 6’s data for the flight
to see what happened. It was very cold outside, -60 oC and inside their box it stayed a
warm 3 oC until their heater fails and the temperature drops to -10 oC. The maximum
humidity reached was a 64% when it passed through the clouds on the way down. On the
way up the data does not reach a high humidity when it passes through the clouds. The
acceleration data coincides with cutting of the balloon and also with the landing time.
This is known because the time stamp on the graph correlates with the cut and landing.
Pressure data is also good with the minimum when it is at the peak altitude. Team 6’s
data appears to be accurate and their data allowed the team to see what actually happened
during flight.
The required sensors failed to take data because the batteries to the Arduino got
too cold and so did the Arduino its self. This dropped the voltage going to the Arduino
so the readings are inaccurate. The heater failed to keep the batteries and Arduino warm
because there were too many holes in the box. These holes were present because the
UVA sensors were not present. They had to be removed in the last minute. These holes
were not plugged up so the heat escaped from the Satellite very easily. In order to verify
this, the satellite was submitted to a cooler test 5 days later. The Arduino L.E.D. shut off
on the outside 40 minutes into the test, the same time the sensors stopped working
correctly.
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
17
Team 6 Data:
Canon A780 Camera
The Canon camera was set inside the box in the bottom back corner, assuming
that the front of the box was the side with all the switches. There was a whole in the side
of the box that was the size of the lens so that when the camera was turned on then it
would look outside the hole and would take quality
pictures. The camera was secured with Velcro on three
of the six sides. The camera was turned on by a switch
that was on the outside of the box. It recorded to and SD
card and was powered by an internal battery that was
fully charged at the start of flight.
During flight the camera took 1,318 pictures
before the camera battery died. Although the camera
battery died it made it all the way to the ground. This is
evident by the fact that we have 611 pictures that are of
the ground.
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
18
The camera is considered a part failure
due to the fact that all the pictures have an
obstructed view. This is because the camera
shifted backwards in the satellite so that the lens
is capturing the inside of the box as part of the
picture (see left picture). This happened
somewhere between giving the satellite to Chris
and arriving at the launch site. This is evident
from two pictures that were taken shortly before
satellite turn in. In this picture (right) there is
little obstruction from the box as appose to the
half picture obstruction of the flight pictures.
The camera is only considered a partial failure because, although the pictures are
not the highest quality, we can still learn a lot about the flight. Upon reviewing the
pictures it is possible to tell when it left the ground and when it returned. There were 690
pictures that are taken while the Balloon Sat is in the air. From this an estimate the total
flight time can be calculated because the camera took one picture approximately every 12
seconds. Using this information the total flight time is approximated to 138 minutes or 2
hours and 18 minutes. From the pictures taken on the ground it can be seen that there
were two disturbances to the satellite. The first is between the 13th and 14th picture after
it lands. The change is that there is less light available to the camera in the 14th picture
then the 13th. This means that something turned the satellite so that the camera faced
more down then out. There is no way of knowing for sure but because it is mere 2.6
minutes after landing
human interaction can
be ruled out. Because
it happened so close to
landing the most likely
cause of this shift is
that the parachute
pulled the chain of
Balloon Satellites
forward because of a wind gust. The second disturbance comes 58.8 minutes after
landing. This is evident because the camera picture changes from a similar picture to the
14th after launch above to an entirely black picture. This is important because
approximately 58 minutes after landing the UVB data went to a reading of
0.789mW/mm. This reading is the same reading that is given when the UVB multi-board
is shut off. When we found the satellite the switch that controls this was turned off. From
this it is evident that when the satellite shifted, 58.8 minutes after landing, it turned off
the UVB multi-board.
GoPro Hero 3
The GoPro Hero 3 is a video recording camera that takes HD video in 960p. This
was secured in the box with Velcro on the inside and aluminum tape on the outside.
About five minutes before takeoff the GoPro was turned on by pressing the correct
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
19
exposed buttons. The GoPro then proceeded to take 95 minutes and 23 seconds of video.
This is less than the 2 hours and 46 minutes of video that the GoPro was anticipated of
taking. The only explanation for this is that the battery got cold and did not produce
enough power to run the ca mera. This is highly possible because temperatures outside
the satellite reached around -60. The way that the GoPro was positioned made onside of
the GoPro entirely exposed to the outside and the extreme temperatures. In addition there
was not any insulation on the other two sides of the GoPro that were touching the walls
of the box. Because of this vulnerability to the cold that the GoPro had it is clear that the
battery inside the GoPro got cold which then reduced its battery life. Because of the
shortened battery life the camera only lasted part of what it should have lasted if it were
under normal conditions.
Although the video did not cover the whole flight it is still good video. It clearly
depicts launch from the point of view of the satellite. It also makes it really high into
space and captures video of the curvature of the earth, the sun and the moon. The video is
still really good video and can be used to check what was happening and when it
happened. The GoPro accurately depicts when the satellite is in the clouds, when it bursts
out, and when it is really high in space. This was useful information in analyzing several
different pieces of data from the mission.
UVA Sensor
1
3092
6183
9274
12365
15456
18547
21638
24729
27820
30911
34002
The sensors that were purchased from Sparkfun were not actually strictly ultra
violet A (UVA) sensors. The sensors are actually light to frequency converters that have
a range of frequency from 320 nm to 1020 nm. This does include the UVA frequency
range of 320 nm to 400 nm, it also includes all of visible light. This was compensated for
by adding a filter of exposed camera film in front of the sensor which blocks out all
visible light. In this manner visible light was blocked so that the sensor would only
receive UVA data. In order to mount the sensor on the box a inverted pyramid shape was
fabricated out of aluminum tape and foam core, to direct light hitting the sides of the
pyramid into the sensor. A hole for this was cut into the top of the box and the pyramid
shape was inserted. The sensor was then inserted into the top point of the pyramid ,
facing towards the interior of the box. The exposed filter paper was then taped above so
that it covered all of the area of the shape. The leads of the sensor are connected to pin 2,
five volts, and ground on an
Arduino also containing a
UVA1 (UwattCm2)
micro SD shield and the
3000
UVB sensors.
2500
The code was
constructed without the help
2000
of Sparkfun, this is because
1500
of the face that no code or
UVA1
1000
calibration information is
(UwattCm2)
offered from this site as is
500
normally expected. As a
0
result the code was
constructed from a
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
20
1
3092
6183
9274
12365
15456
18547
21638
24729
27820
30911
34002
combination of different
Arduino forums and
UVA2 (GHz)
tweaking of this code.
40000
This code is then combined
with the part of the code
30000
for the required sensors
20000
which enabled the data to
UVA2 (GHz)
be written to an SD card.
10000
The code copied from the
0
required sensors was
changed to the extent that
the parts specific to sensors
that are not present on the
Arduino were deleted and replaced with the code specific to the UVA. Due to the fact
that that the code that calibrates the sensors was taken from a forum the calibrations were
correct but the inputs and outputs connecting the sensors to the Arduino had to be
changed. This being done and the wires having been soldered and wrapped up with
electrical tape, the sensor was ready to fly.
The data that was received after recovery was totally wrong. What had seemed
like good values before launch were discovered to be inconsistent with what would be
expected from high altitude. In fact the data did not vary at all except between a value of
seven and 100 with a few random spikes to several thousand in the middle of the data.
These spikes occurred from a time of 120 minutes till 150 minutes, a time of a half hour.
The code was then looked at again and a new sensor on a new Arduino was used to test
the bare UVA code until it was correct. Then the code that allows the data to be written to
an SD card was added on and it was found that the values no longer were correct. It was
then determined that the UVA code needed port 6 on the Arduino in order to work and on
the code for the SD card port 6 was being used to light a light emitting diode (LED). This
was fixed by changing the port for the LED to 9. Then the problem persisted and it was
determined that this was due to a problem in the rate at which the sensor would record
data and the rate at which the SD card was written to. This was corrected by deleting the
tab in the code labeled log_the_time and moving that code into the main body of code.
This allowed the time intervals on the sensor and the SD card to be synchronized. This
being done the sensor still did not work on the main Arduino, however on the new
Arduino on which only the UVA sensor was attached the code did work. Therefore any
further problems were with the actual hardware. Upon further inspection of the sensor
itself the solders were seen to be heavily degraded to the point that one of the sensor
inputs was completely disconnected. When these solders were fixed, by the addition of a
new sensor, and the sensor turned on correct values were finally returned.
As a result it can be said that the UVA sensor had several flaws within both the
hardware and the software. The hardware problem was resolved by re-soldering the wires
together with a new sensor. The software problems were resolved by changing the port
being used for an LED and for the UVA sensor. Also the code that determined the time to
log that data and to record the data were synchronized. The culmination of all of these
flaws lead to the incorrect readings of the sensor which seem to have turned the sensor
into a digital sensor which only read zero volts or five volts and converting these values
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
21
to the seven and 100 seen in the code. The spikes in the data can be explained by an
upper threshold in the code at a value of 100,000 which, if exceeded produces very large
values. This threshold would have been reached at the time of 120 minutes because that is
the time at which the parachute opened as can be seen as a spike in the acceleration graph
right after a spike before which is correlated with balloon burst. The opening of the
parachute would have given the sensor a high level of light because of the stability of the
box at that point. After about 30 minutes, the values could fall below the threshold and
return to normal. This can be thought of as an overflow passage opening on a dam to
maintain the water level.
As a result of the UVA sensor failing the hardware and software was reevaluated
after recovery of the satellite. The problems as stated above were then discovered as
fixed. The sensor was then tested again and proved to be correct. The sensor wrote to the
SD card, collected correct data, and did not interfere with other sensors on the Arduino.
The graph produced by this new and revised sensor is provided below.
UVA2 (GHz)
140000
120000
100000
Frequency (GHz)
80000
60000
UVA2 (GHz)
40000
20000
1
416
831
1246
1661
2076
2491
2906
3321
3736
4151
4566
4981
5396
5811
6226
6641
7056
7471
7886
8301
8716
0
Time (.5s)
UVB sensor
The BalloonSat for Team Orion contained two sensors that measured
ultraviolet radiation. The SiC UV-BC Photodiode Sensor recorded data of light
wavelengths from 225 nanometers to 320 – correlating to UVB and UVC rays, and the
AlGan-0.8D-300 Photodiode recorded data of the wavelengths from 280 to 315 –
correlating to UVB rays. These sensors were connected to the Multifunctional 2-Channel
Amplifier Multiboard, from the Boston Electronics Company, in order to amplify and
convert the current from the sensor’s output into voltage that could be read and recorded
by the Arduino Uno microcontroller.
After flight, it was determined that the UV detection system was a partial success.
The sensors remained function throughout the flight and the Arduino Uno recorded data
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
22
for the duration of the flight, and a substantial amount of time when the BalloonSat was
on the ground after landing – roughly 300 minutes of data, or around 5 hours. During the
five hours of recording data, 37,090 points of data were taken. From a functional
standpoint, the UV sensor set-up was a success; however, the data collected from flight
did not match the expected results. Later, it was determined that the sensor didn’t record
correct data due to human error, rather than mechanical failure. This situation was
determined to be a partial success based on the requirements set forth in the Request for
Proposal. The following graph is of points of data collected during the flight from the
UVBC sensor. The UVB sensor that was also on the flight recorded almost identical data
points, which will be explained in the failure analysis portion. The units that the graph is
in were initially planned to be in milliwatts per millimeter; however, due to human error,
the units are not correct.
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
23
During the first two hours of flight, the amount of ultraviolet radiation seems to
be decreasing, which would be opposite of the expected result. However, from two hours
to about two hours and twenty minutes the data suggests that there was an increase in
ultraviolet radiation. In that time period, though, the BalloonSat was descending and an
increase of ultraviolet radiation is not to be expected. The data was compared to an
external temperature reading from Team 6 (Labeled “OneWire(Deg C)) and the time
stamps of data points were correlated (the temperature sensor flown in this BallonSat was
located on an Arduino that malfunctioned at 39 minutes). Below are the two graphs as
they are compared with time. When compared there seems to be a correlation between
the time when the temperature was lowest and when a drop in UV radiation becomes
apparent. Similarly, when the temperature begins to rise, the UV radiation seems to rise
as well. The amplifier board requires a minimum of nine volts of a dual power supply,
which requires two nine-volt batteries connected in a special manner. From pre-flight
testing it was found that when the voltage of either of the two batteries falls below 8.5
volts, the sensitivity of the sensor is compromised and the outputs were lower than
expected. From analyzing the correlation between the temperature and the output drop it
is hypothesized that the outputs dropped slightly due to extreme cold affecting the
batteries. As mentioned in the Results and Analysis section of the analog sensors, the
internal temperature of the box is believed to have fallen extremely low. This hypothesis
cannot be confirmed unless the satellite is re-flown, as an extreme temperature is needed
as well as a source of UVB radiation. Team Orion doesn’t have ready access to a
mechanism that could provide both of these at the same time.
Further along in the data there is a very sharp decrease and then an almost
constant reading from that point. This decrease in the data can be explained by the power
to the amplifier board being shut off. Since the camera on board was taking pictures at a
relatively constant rate of one picture per twelve seconds, it was determined by picture
evidence that the BalloonSat was moved at approximately three hours and twenty
minutes into the experiment, which correlates directly to the time in which the decrease
is. The amplifier board was determined to have shut off by picture evidence of the
landing site – the switch to the amplifier board was found off while the Arduino
connected to the amplifier board was found to be still running. From previous testing, it
was known that the Arduino read and recorded a false output from the amplifier board if
the amplifier board was off. The reason for this phenomenon was, at first, suspected to be
the programming for the Arduino; however, after testing the amplifier board – when the
power was disconnected – with a multimeter, it was found that false voltages were also
read. Communication with Boston electronics failed to reveal a reason and an
investigation into the data sheet that accompanied the amplifier failed to reveal the
results. Testing after the flight revealed that the same problem occurred when the
amplifier was disconnected from power and the Arduino was functioning: false readings
were found that had almost the same value as those from past the sharp decline in the
flight data. The false values found through testing were within ten units from the
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
24
suspected false readings.
As aforementioned, the UV radiation sensing setup for Team Orion’s Balloon
Satellite is considered to be a partial success, the reason for only having partial
success status originates from a failure to accurately read the levels of UVB and UVC
radiation as a function of altitude. As illustrated by the graphs above, the sensor set
up did record data; however, it has been determined that the reason for the
incorrect levels of UV radiation is a combination of an improper gain setting and a
miscalculation of programming a calibration factor. As mentioned in the testing
section, the sensor was calibrated using a gain setting lower than what was used for
the flight. Furthermore, the calibration factor was created from information from
pre-flight testing that was based upon the outputs from a lower gain setting on the
amplifier board. The math was done in a way that allowed the input from the
amplifier to be converted to volts per bit (input*(5.0/1024)), and then multiplied by
a calibration factor to put the output in milliwatts. This code was completed
approximately 15 hours before the BalloonSat was required to be checked in.
Therefore, no testing could be completed at the physics lab; however, testing was
done with UV radiation from the sun. Data from sun-testing the sensor were at a
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
25
very small level and prompted the team to change the calibration factor by 1000.
From the change, output values were roughly around 1500. The BalloonSat was
flown with this code. Analysis of post-flight data indicated that the code was
construing the data: this was found when post-flight numbers were re-run through
the programming. Expected results should have been a number between 0-5 volts;
however, actual results were above 8 million.
To verify results, post-flight testing was conducted at the same Physics lab as
pre-flight testing; however, the settings for the post-flight testing we the same as the
settings during actual flight. Below is a graph of the results of post-flight testing. The
units are the same as from the flight, and are incorrect amounts of “milliwatts per
millimeter squared.” From testing, it was determined that the output of the
amplifier board was at its highest possible output. This conclusion was attained
from comparing the maximum values attained during post-flight testing with those
from the actual flight. The flight data correlated with the values from maxing out the
sensor during post-flight testing. During the post-flight testing, the max output of
the sensor set-up was roughly 1560 units. This amount correlates to the amount of
units the flight data contained, thus the hypothesis of a maxed-out sensor was
created.
To correct both mistakes, the gain would need to be adjusted and recalibration would be necessary. The gain should be lowered to 106 volts per ampere
and then re-calibration would need to occur. For calibration, a known amount of UV
radiation needs to be used, and a multimeter would need to be used in order to
determine the output at that particular gain setting. After voltages and intensity of
the laser are correlated, the same intensities of the laser would need to be used on
the sensors; however, the Arduino should be used to measure the outputs in volts
per bit (5/1024). This number could then be multiplied by a calibration factor to put
the outputs into milliwatts. Team Orion was not able to accomplish this task due to
time constraints.
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
26
10.0 Ready for Flight
After launch and recovery our Balloon Satellite was structurally intact. But inside
the box there were several things that needed to be addressed to make the satellite ready
to fly again. These changes involve the UVB sensors, UVA sensors, required sensors,
and the Canon A780 camera.
The problems with the UVB sensors was that the gain on the multi-board was set
to high. To fix this we recalibrated the sensor to correct the gain on the multi-board. We
did this by going to the physics lab and test the output with the multi-meter. We then used
the voltage and compared it to the mill watts of the laser to get the correct gain. Once this
gain is corrected then the code needs to be rewritten based on the correct calibration
factor. This would then correct the sensor so that it will not max out when it encounters
UVB radiation and it will record accurate readings. In addition to this some of the
connections between the sensors and the multi board need to be replaced. This is
primarily because they were ruined in analyzing the contents of the box. This was done
by re-screwing the leads into the multi-board and then hot gluing them securely in place.
After this is done then all that needs to be done is to replace the batteries.
The UVA sensors had some problems with them that hindered their success in
flight. To fix this we replaced the sensor that was originally of the satellite because it was
damaged when the satellite was opened. In addition to this the code also had some minor
edits. Some of the pins in the code were changed to different ones and a problem with the
time stamps was fixed so that it records accurate data.
The Required sensors that were on the satellite also had some problems. We
arrived at the conclusion that the arduino got too cold which in turn resulted in it stopping
working. We verified this by running a second cold test that turned similar results to
flight. To fix this we would place the heater in a more central location in the box so that
the required sensors arduino is closer to the heater. We also filled all the extra holes in
the box with hot glue so it will be better insulated. By doing this the arduino would get
more heat and function correctly. To prove that this would solve this we ran a cold test
with the heater in a new place and the holes plugged and the arduino recorded accurate
data.
The Canon A780 camera needed to be better secured on the next flight. Instead of
Velcro we would hot glue the camera down so that there is nothing that could cause it to
shift backward. This eliminates the only problem that the camera had during flight. To
get it ready to fly again we need to recharge the battery and clear all the pictures off the
SD card. After all ready a piece of tape needs to be placed over the switch for the camera
so that it is not turned on because once turned on it is hard to turn off.
The balloon satellite should be stored in a place where the UVB and UVA sensors
will not be exposed to intense light. It should also be stored without any batteries
connected to it so that there is not a risk of the batteries leaking acid. Before flight
batteries need to connected to the satellite and the satellite needs to be taped closed with
aluminum tape. After all this is done then the satellite is ready to fly again.
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
27
11.0 Conclusions and Lessons Learned
To conclude the results analysis of the data collected during our near space
Balloon Satellite flight, the issue of the success of the mission must be addressed.
Upon retrieval of our data from the on board SD cards, we came to the conclusion
that the UVA, External Temperature, Internal Temperature, Humidity, Acceleration,
and Pressure sensors all failed after an unknown catastrophic event 39 minutes into
the flight. The viable data we were able to recover from the UVB sensors indicated
that as we predicted, the graph of Altitude versus UVB radiation from the sun shows
a positive trend in its slope. This partial success of our Balloon Satellite brought
about a relief that our entire mission was not an entire waste of our semester spent
hard at work.
The design of the box of our satellite consisted of a simple 15cmx15cmx15cm
cube reinforced with aluminum tape on the exterior edges, and hot glue on the
interior. Insulation inside the box was crucial to the success of our mission, but
unfortunately with the sensors flown that required direct exposure to the sunlight,
our method of attempting to fly with small openings in the box led to the insulation
being ineffective. The internal temperature got low enough to the point where our
environmental sensors Arduino board stopped working. With this comes the
conclusion that if we were able to redo the construction of the box, far less holes
would have been constructed to prevent the exit of the small amount of warm air
the heater was able to produce.
Coding of the Arduino Uno’s we used in flight was by far the hardest thing
about our project. The particular complexity of the code was something that for
whatever reason ended up falling on a single team member. Trying to debug the
code was nearimpossible when we had so much involved with both of the boards we
flew. If we were able to restart the semester, our team would have definitely left
more time for multiple people to become involved in the coding process, and to
conduct tests of the functionality of our box. The two cold tests we wound up doing
after flight only revealed the fact that there was still work to be done on the box.
12.0 Message to Next Semester
During team Orion's time in Gateway to Space we learned a lot of things that we
would like to pass on to you. First, do not let the mere 3 credits behoove you. This class
will take the most work and time out of any of your classes you will have your entire
freshman year. The process of making a satellite and putting it into near space in one
semester is more daunting then you would ever expect it to be. Not only does it take so
much commitment of your time but also your focus. Second, ask for help. Although the
class seems to be a competition, do not be afraid to ask other teams to help you. And if
they don't know then ask someone on campus that knows. People in the physics
department have lasers that can help calibrate sensors. Third, you will, as we did, come
Team Orion
December 12, 2012
28
across topics that you not only not know how to do them but no one will directly teach
you how to do it. But this in essence is the beauty of the class. In industry there wont
necessarily be someone to hold your hand and teach you exactly how to do something (in
these instances, the internet is your friend). This class is the only class that you will take
your freshman year that will directly prepare you for life after college. When you write
this message to the semester after yours you will hate this class just like we do. But you
will soon realize how much you actually did, and how much you learned. And you will
come to love Gateway to Space.
Team Orion
December 12, 2012