1. Patrick Thurston and David Cobler
Lunar Lander Project
Patrick Thurston and David Cobler

2. Background
NASA has awarded a grant for VTC to design and plan a mission to send a small cube-satellite to orbit and land on the moon.
The mission plan is to Send a triple unit cube-sat into orbit with a geostationary satellite.
Once in orbit the cube-sat will detach from the geostationary satellite and begin its journey to orbit the moon.
When the triple cube-sat unit is in orbit around the moon, a single section will detach and attempt to land on the moon.

3. Mission Diagram

4. Problem
A landing system for the single unit cube-sat must be designed and tested extensively to pass aero-space standards.
A special testing apparatus needed to be constructed to test various landing systems.
The testing apparatus must record shock values and measure the landing systems stability.

5. Technical Details The testing platform will need to simulate:
Varying drop velocity
Varying Landing orientations
Varying Terrain conditions
Calculate the shock on impact
Calculate the stability of the lander
Pitch, Yaw, and roll.

6. System Design
Release/Retrieve System
Cube Sat
Base Adjustment System

7. Mechanical Adjustable Angle Rotating Base Lifting / Releasing Assembly
This contains two DC Motors, and two couplings.
One motor for rotating the base
The second motor for changing the angle of incline.
This contains one DC Motor, an electro-mechanical clutch, a line spool and two couplings.
The motor is for retrieving the cube-sat
The clutch is for quickly releasing the cube-sat and then engages the spool to retrieve the cube sat.

8. Electrical
Three DC Motors, One for lifting the Cube-Sat, another for turning the base, and one more to adjust the incline.
An Electro-Magnetic Clutch, used for engaging and disengaging the spool.
One DC Motor Controller to control the turntable motor.
Two accelerometers will be used one to measure the orientation of the cube-sat, and another to measure the Shock.
Two Microcontrollers, one on the base to control the turntable and the incline, and one on the top to control the electro-magnetic clutch and to control the retrieval motor.
Two LED’s and a CdS (Cadmium Sulfide) cell are used as a break beam sensor.

9. Cube-Sat Accelerometer
Electrical Wiring V+
CdS Sensor
Labview
Cube-Sat Accelerometer
LED’s
Micro Controller
GND V+
Table Accelerometer
Motor-Controller
Lab View
Motor- Controller
= Power
= Ground
=Comm
Retrieval Motor
Turn-Table Motor
GND

10. Information Flow Chart
Lab View/6808
Electromagnetic Clutch
Accelerometer
Base Potentiometer
Lifting Motor Controller
Lifting Motor Controller
Lifting Motor Controller
Inclined Table Motor Controller
Base Orientation Motor Controller
Retrieval Motor
Inclined Table Motor
Turn Table Motor
CdS Sensor

11. Labview Human Interface

12. Labview Structure

13. Budget Extruded Aluminum $179 Electromagnetic Clutch $78
Two Accelerometers $60
Two CdS Sensors and LED’s $80
Threaded Rod $1
Line Spool $10
DC Motors $40
Hex Shaft $6
Ball Bearings $30
Turntable $11
Joint Swivel $10
Couplings $57
Total: $562

14. Project Management Pat Dave Both Cube-Sat data acquisition
Base Turntable
Dave
Cube-Sat drop and retrieval system
Both
Apparatus Frame
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May.
Brainstorming
Systems Design
Programming
Electrical
Mechanical System Build
Test Apparatus Build
Testing

15. Special Thanks to: John Kidder Andre St.Denis Roger Howes Aaron Minard
Daniel Beem

16. Questions?