HIGH-ALTITUDE BACTERIUM RETRIEVAL PROJECT Will Berry Erin Banister Bauyrjan Jyenis Sean Trevithick CSU – Puebl0 Engineering

Extremophile Bacterial Colonies High-altitude extremophile bacteria reside in the Earth’s stratosphere Even in inhospitable conditions to humans, they have the ability to thrive through adaptation Bacterial strains collected in 2005 over India using a balloon satellite OVERVIEW 1

Altitude Stratospheric layer at approx km (32, ,000 feet) Balloon payload limit Temperature Can reach static temperatures of -60 degrees Centigrade (-76 degrees Fahrenheit) Pressure Between atmospheres (7.6mmHg -.76mmHg) Sample Integrity Initial Sterility Contamination Airflow Greatly decreased volumetric flow rates Budget Must remain within available assets OBSTACLES AND REQUIREMENTS Atmospheric layer breakdown

CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS Materials Used 6061 T6 Aluminum Various mid-grade steels Photovoltaic cells Battery power (9V, Ni-Cd) Electronic components Initial Concept Computer fans to promote airflow Large for maximum surface area Single-servo actuation

CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS Design Modifications Smaller Cartridge filter design Sterility Issues Articulated shaft motion Current Design Circular design Utilizes O-ring seal Dual valve system to maintain sterility Dual-servo actuation Rack-and-pinion linear motion

IMPLEMENTATION – MECHANICAL Sterile Unit assembled within protective insulation Filter containment unit housed in protective, airflow-promoting chassis

IMPLEMENTATION – ELECTRONIC DESIGN Parallax BS2pe microcontroller (BASIC Stamp) Simple breadboard with microcontroller and power, output connections Materials Parallax BS2pe BASIC Stamp microcontroller HiTec Titanium high-torque servos (333 oz.-in) 7.2V 2800mah Ni-Cd battery pack 9-volt heating elements High-torque servo setup

EOSS LAUNCH – FEB. 2 ND 2011 Last-minute heating element assembly Mechanical and electrical assembly

EOSS LAUNCH – FEB. 2 ND 2011 High-altitude balloon preparing for launchBalloon climbing shortly after launch

EOSS LAUNCH – FEB. 2 ND 2011 Retrieval of payload after landing near Windsor, CO

Device was able to collect sample during use Currently pending whether extremophile bacteria samples were retrieved Improvements Reduce weight Capability to electronically detect/calculate altitude Increase insulation efficiency Increase heater efficiency Simpler disassembly procedure – Filter installation/removal – Insulation panels Install solar panels for power regeneration or assistance in heating unit RESULTS

QUESTIONS?

Yang, et al, Investigation of cultivable microorganisms in the stratosphere collected by using a balloon in 2005 ( Photo of extremophilic bacteria. April Photo of an extremophile bacteria. April Atmospheric layer designation. April REFERENCES