1 Student Hands On Training I (2009) BalloonSats & Ballooning BalloonSats & Ballooning

2 - Started at Space Grant June Was a student at Space Grant Programs had advanced - Hard for freshman students to get plugged in - Sink or Swim Origins:

3 How it all started… - Western Regional Meeting in San Diego Fall Bob Twiggs introduced CubeSats - Great concept but… - 80 to 100 new students a year - $35K to $50K - Complexity - Seed was planted Origins:

4 What if students could get close to space? - Met Edge of Space Sciences (EOSS) in Fall 1996 Origins:

5 - Promise of recovery and 100,000 feet - Price was right - Many launches every year - Some of the same engineering challenges Origins:

6 With the combination of these items, BalloonSat was born Origins:

7 - BalloonSat is an excellent, low cost platform for “Crawl” level student missions to the Edge of Space - A BalloonSat weighing up to 9 kg can reach 30 km (100,000 feet) - Students faced with many engineering challenges - Mach 1, -80 C, near vacuum, impact and burst - No microgravity but BalloonSat can be recovered BalloonSat:

8 Ballooning

9 - Ballooning is inexpensive - Helium (~$80) - Balloon (~$150) - You mostly control launch - Ballooning is inexpensive - Helium (~$80) - Balloon (~$150) - You mostly control launch Ballooning

10 Ballooning When your balloon and payload ascend into the sky… Every student knows, their experiment is going where no one Every student knows, their experiment is going where no one - except astronauts - has ever gone before

11 BalloonSat Hardware: Digital Camera 555 Timing Circuit Datalogger & Temp Probe Batteries Basic Stamp - Digital cameras - Photodiodes - Solar Cells - Geiger tubes - Hand Warmers and Desiccant - Insulation

12 BalloonSat Construction: Aluminum Construction Foam Core Construction

13 BalloonSat Construction: - Velcro - Silicon Adhesive and Hot Glue - Aluminum Tape - Insulation - Venting - Condensation

14 BalloonSats -Easy to attach to balloon -Easy to track and Recovery -Fun for all -You will build yours in 3 days

15 - Space Hardware Demonstrations - Atmospheric Studies - Technology Prototypes - Life Sciences Studies - Remote Sensing - Student Training BalloonSat Uses:

16 - BalloonSat is geared to college level freshmen of all majors but high school students have done it too - Taught every semester as part of a class titled Gateway to Space - Students are placed in teams of six and given an RFP and write proposal BalloonSat:

17 - Atmospheric radiation levels - Solar cell efficiency - Atmospheric soundings - Video imaging - High altitude effects on roaches - Digital sound recording of upper atmosphere - Temperature studies Past Student Experiments:

18 Launch: Supported by EOSS gram latex balloon - Gaseous Helium (~4 K bottles) - Balloon filling system - Flight string - Radio Transceiver - GPS - Control Systems - Parachute - FAA notification

19 Launch Review:

20 Launch Video:

21 Launch Video:

22 BalloonSats -Typical launch

23 BalloonSats -Typical launch

BalloonSats -Typical launch

Burst: - Altitude variable - One of the most violent moments of the flight - Mach I Series of burst images - Altitude variable - One of the most violent moments of the flight - Mach I Series of burst images

Burst:

31 BalloonSats -Interesting burst

32 BalloonSats

33 BalloonSats

34 - Drop Test - Cooler Test - Stair Test - Whip Test - Subsystem Tests - Functional Tests - Mission Sim Tests BalloonSat Testing:

35 BalloonSat Testing: Kick, Drop, Cool, and Whip

36 Agenda: (Thursday)

37 Launch Review:

38 - Begins after launch - Can track real-time - Recovery complete same day Recovery:

39 Launch Review:

40 Launch Review:

41

42 Student Hands On Training I (2009) Questions?