1

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

3 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

4 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

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

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

7 System Block Diagram Digital Compass

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

9 Communications Kenwood TH-D7A(G) –Built in TNC –APRS Capable Global Positioning System (GPS) –Navman Jupiter 8 –NMEA Compatible Non-System beacon – MHz 7 messages in Morse Code

10 ATV and High Resolution Camera Amateur Television (ATV) –Downlink Only: 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)

11 Cut-down Device Why do we need a cut-down device? –Detach balloon from system after mission phase is complete –Satisfy FAA requirements NiChrome 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 NiChrome upon command –PIC Controller (Microchip 12F675) Redundancy in case of system failure Cuts down after pre-programmed time

12 Power Batteries –Three Battery Packs UltraLife 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

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

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

15 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

16 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

17 Survivability Enclosure

18 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

19 Questions?

20 BACKUP

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

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

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

24 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