1 wp4 – CAPANINA Trial 2 Neuchatel 27/10/05 Marco Bobbio Pallavicini (CGS) Myles Capstik (UNY) Joachim Horwath (DLR)

2 Summary Introduction to Trial 2 Comments on High Altitude Systems: constraints, mission planning, aerial segment design High Altitude System : Preparation activities RF experiment : Testbed description RF experiment : Preparation activities FSO experiment : Testbed description FSO experiment : Preparation activities Countdown and Launch ( 3 min FILM ) Comments on the flight mission RF experiment : Operation and results FSO experiment : Operation and results Comments

3 Capanina Network Concept Up to 120Mbit/s symmetric links Fixed BFWA particularly for rural locations WLAN Moving Train Up to 300km/h Steerable/ Smart Antenna 31/28GHz, (<11GHz), + optical backhaul and interplatform 17-22km To be validated: RF link: stratospheric node - ground node FSO link: stratospheric node - ground node

4 CAPANINA Test Campaign Broadband communications from the Stratosphere Ka- band RF communication to ground users; fixed and mobiles (trains) Free Space Optics (laser) communication aimed to inter-platform links at high altitude Trial 2 : High altitude test, by means of Stratospheric Balloon Summer 2005, Kiruna, S Trial 1 : Low altitude test, by means of Tethered Balloon Summer 2004, Pershore, UK Demonstration of a reduced network with FSO communication within two flying platforms 2007TBD Trial 3 : High altitude test, by means of Stratospheric Airplane TBC Summer 2006, Kawai/Edwards TBC Marco Bobbio Pallavicini – responsible test campaign & testbed system integration Joachim Horwath (DLR) – responsible FSO experiment Myles Capstik (University of York) – responsible RF experiment

5 High Altitude Systems: Constraints (1/2) Operational environment Rarefied air Low temperature High solar radiation Wind streams

6 High Altitude Systems: Constraints (2/2) Onboard devices Weight Power Consumption Heat dissipation Stabilised Pointing Payload weight determines the volume of the Airship or the wing area (therefore power) of the Airplane Payload power needs determine the dimensioning of the power supply system  weight Convective heat transfer nearly absent  need for conductive thermal bridges and/or irradiative solutions In case of directional device, a real time Pointing-Acquisition- Tracking system shall be available onboard, knowing the displacement of the target Ground Station / User

7 High Altitude Systems: Mission & System design (1/2) REQUIREMENTS Climb smoothly up to the low Stratosphere (>18500m) Remain at high altitude during a 6h period, within a ground distance of 60km from the Ground Station, with high stability (pendulum effect < 1° amplitude) clear sky (good line of sight between the nacelle and the ground station) Provide the proper support to the two onboard experiments, requiring a free cone of view, nadir pointing, each 140° solid angle aperture Provide the proper power supply to the onboard experiments during the scheduled period Provide the proper data links between the experiments onboard and the ground stations, for real time GPS acquisition and TM/TC service Descent smoothly for payloads recovery Land safely without injuring the payloads Recover all the equipment at the launch base

8 SOLUTIONS Stratospheric Carrier System lifted by a 12000m 3 Helium Balloon, after dynamic launch procedure The Carrier is ‘piloted’ by means of a Ballast System and a Gas Release Valve on the balloon, in order to control the ascent speed and the floating altitude within the wind stream layers Multi-payload Nacelle, designed around the payloads configuration Electric Power Supply system based on High efficiency Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl 2 ) primary batteries and military-standard converters. The EPS box was equipped with photovoltaic heating system, after admitting possible increased test duration Integrated GPS & TM/TC system allowing real-time availability of X,Y,Z position at the ground stations plus transparent serial links between the aerial segment and the ground segment of the two experiments Nacelle turning system, for 180° rotation before descent, aimed to protect the payloads at touch down High Altitude Systems: Mission & System design (2/2)

9 Stratospheric Carrier System gas valve balloon GPS + beacon cutter parachute TM/TC + GPS ballast radio beacon radar transponder radar reflector connection plate nacelle turner integrated nacelle strobe light video system X 70m long flight train connected to the Balloon

10 SOLUTIONS Stratospheric Carrier System lifted by a 12000m 3 Helium Balloon, after dynamic launch procedure The Carrier is ‘piloted’ by means of a Ballast System and a Gas Release Valve on the balloon, in order to control the ascent speed and the floating altitude within the wind stream layers Multi-payload Nacelle, designed around the payloads configuration Electric Power Supply system based on High efficiency Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl 2 ) primary batteries and military-standard converters. The EPS box was equipped with photovoltaic heating system, after admitting possible increased test duration Integrated GPS & TM/TC system allowing real-time availability of X,Y,Z position at the ground stations plus transparent serial links between the aerial segment and the ground segment of the two experiments Nacelle turning system, for 180° rotation before descent, aimed to protect the payloads at touch down High Altitude Systems: Mission & System design (2/2)

11 Multi-payload Nacelle

12 SOLUTIONS Stratospheric Carrier System lifted by a 12000m 3 Helium Balloon, after dynamic launch procedure The Carrier is ‘piloted’ by means of a Ballast System and a Gas Release Valve on the balloon, in order to control the ascent speed and the floating altitude within the wind stream layers Multi-payload Nacelle, designed around the payloads configuration Electric Power Supply system based on High efficiency Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl 2 ) primary batteries and military-standard converters. The EPS box was equipped with photovoltaic heating system, after admitting possible increased test duration Integrated GPS & TM/TC system allowing real-time availability of X,Y,Z position at the ground stations plus transparent serial links between the aerial segment and the ground segment of the two experiments Nacelle turning system, for 180° rotation before descent, aimed to protect the payloads at touch down High Altitude Systems: Mission & System design (2/2)

13 Electric Power Supply system With average 20W heating power at altitude, the battery box stabilised at a regime temperature of +37°C, optimising the output efficiency

14 SOLUTIONS Stratospheric Carrier System lifted by a 12000m 3 Helium Balloon, after dynamic launch procedure The Carrier is ‘piloted’ by means of a Ballast System and a Gas Release Valve on the balloon, in order to control the ascent speed and the floating altitude within the wind stream layers Multi-payload Nacelle, designed around the payloads configuration Electric Power Supply system based on High efficiency Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl 2 ) primary batteries and military-standard converters. The EPS box was equipped with photovoltaic heating system, after admitting possible increased test duration Integrated GPS & TM/TC system allowing real-time availability of X,Y,Z position at the ground stations plus transparent serial links between the aerial segment and the ground segment of the two experiments Nacelle turning system, for 180° rotation before descent, aimed to protect the payloads at touch down High Altitude Systems: Mission & System design (2/2)

15 Integrated GPS & TM/TC Unit GPS data provided real time at GS Data stream provided via LAN (IP) to the experiment ground stations Data stream provided according to NMEA-0183 standard Transparent RS422 link Three full duplex, asynchronous, transparent serial connections Each line will go through a RF line (nominal MHz, Frequency Modulation)  guaranteed a BER end-to-end better than 10^-5

16 SOLUTIONS Stratospheric Carrier System lifted by a 12000m 3 Helium Balloon, after dynamic launch procedure The Carrier is ‘piloted’ by means of a Ballast System and a Gas Release Valve on the balloon, in order to control the ascent speed and the floating altitude within the wind stream layers Multi-payload Nacelle, designed around the payloads configuration Electric Power Supply system based on High efficiency Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (Li-SOCl 2 ) primary batteries and military-standard converters. The EPS box was equipped with photovoltaic heating system, after admitting possible increased test duration Integrated GPS & TM/TC system allowing real-time availability of X,Y,Z position at the ground stations plus transparent serial links between the aerial segment and the ground segment of the two experiments Nacelle turning system, for 180° rotation before descent, aimed to protect the payloads at touch down High Altitude Systems: Mission & System design (2/2)

17 Nacelle Turning System Flight configuration Pyro Cutter Mockup for in-flight tests Turned and landed - Measured 4g at secondary belt loading

18 Ordinary tests on the single elements of the flight train and I/F verification Tests on the nacelle turning system at ground with verification of the dynamics and the shock loads Tests on the dynamic launch procedure with the Hercules launch vehicle and the nacelle mock-up Two stratospheric flights (29/06/05, 11/07/05) with the fully equipped flight train, smaller balloon, mock-up of the Nacelle, in order to test: Dynamic launch procedure with the Hercules vehicle Integrated TM/TC & GPS Balloon cutter Nacelle turning at high altitude (two different procedures) Parachute descent Pre-flight test campaign with the ready-to-fly system Preparation activities: Preliminary tests on the Stratospheric Carrier

19 Preparation activities: Assembly, Integration, Verification into Hangars The ‘Cathedral’ hangar hosts the offices plus room for AIV activities on the Nacelle, the RF experiment, the FSO experiment The ‘Basilica’ hangar is for the Balloon, the Parachute, the turning system and the connector plates The ‘Church’ hangar is for AIV of TM/TC system, electronic devices, ballast machine and gas release valve

20 Preparation activities: Ground stations site preparation Disposal of the Telescope mounts for FSO experiment and for RF experiment Disposal of Huts and tents for equipment and personnel for the two experiments Power and data cabling of the positions for experiments

21 Preparation activities: Meteorological survey (1/2) Meteorological Breefing every morning Cloud coverage & possible precipitation Wind speed at ground Temperature at ground Wind profile up to 30km altitude Pressure, Temperature, Humidity up to 30km altitude

22 Preparation activities: Meteorological survey (2/2) Meteorological Breefing every morning Foreseen flight path (ascent, float, descent)

23 RF Experiment Myles Capstik (UNY) Experiments: Testbed design, implementation and preparation FSO Experiment Joachim Horwath (DLR)

24 Preparation activities: Launch Pad Disposal of Helium Tanks and Balloon inflating system Disposal of Balloon release system Disposal of protection stripe for balloon, parachute and flight train development Disposal of light and power generators Disposal of check equipment for the elements of the flight train, at proper stations Disposal of the Wind 100m altitude Definition and preparation of the 4 hours countdown operations list Tracing of the safety operation areas (laser safety) Nacelle installation on the Hercules vehicle Connection of the full flight train Mechanical, electrical and data connections check Payload functioning check Nacelle battery connection Balloon inflation

25 Balloon Launch FILM

26 Flight Mission 01:52 Take off 03:16 Start piloting, Heading 114, Speed 5m/s, Horizontal distance 48.4km 03:06 Float stabilised at 24260m, Heading 100, Speed 5m/s 05:03 flying back, Altitude 23780m, Heading 218, Horizontal distance 59.5km 10:18 Drop the remaining ballast, Disarm the load sensor, Turn the Nacelle 10:19 Open the gas valve, Arm the flight termination device, Release the balloon 10:55 Nacelle impact, 67°28.595’ N, 21°25.961’ E

27 RF Experiment Myles Capstik (UNY) Experiments: Operation and Results FSO Experiment Joachim Horwath (DLR)

28 Conclusion