HighAltitudeBalloonBusfor CubeSatTesting

Kiko Dontchev CubeSatDevelopersWorkshop CalPolySanLuisObispo 4/24/09

DevelopmentOverview
HighAltitudeBalloonBus
Integrates13UCubeSats for testing Reliabletrackingplatform Providelaunch/flightexperiences forstudents ImproveGroundStation operations

StudentThermalVacuum 2x2x2MeterHelmholtzCage
4/24/2009 UniversityofMichigan

1U Configuration

BalloonBusOverview
Sun Sensor
Temp Sensor
Flight Termination Units (FTU)

Buzzer

FTU Command

9V Batteries MAX 233 Camera Signal Li-Ion Battery Camera GPS Accelerometer GPS Microcontroller and SD MicroTrak

Terminal Node Controller (TNC)

Radio

SD Card

Beeline

AAAs

Data Power

4/24/2009

UniversityofMichigan

BusTracking/Communication
3communicationsystemsforredundancy
TX Only: 144.39 MHz (APRS Network) Garmin 18 GPS Byonics MicroTrak 9V TX Only: 144.39 MHz (APRS Network) BeeLine 2M GPS Garmin 18 GPS

3 Orthogonal Half Wave Dipole Antennas

TX/RX: Simplex 147.50 MHz

Rabbit Microcontroller
4/24/2009

Terminal Node Controller

UniversityofMichigan

Alinco VHF Radio

4

CellPhoneTracking
Separatepackageprovides redundancy OpenGPSTrackerbuiltwithCOTS components
GPScommunicatestocellphone throughMicrocontroller Location/Altitudedataisstored onboard Retrievemostrecentpacket throughtextmessagecommand
Operatorreadsonemailortext

Advantage:Noneedfordirect communicationbetweensystems Disadvantage:Unabletotrack withoutphonecoverage

4/24/2009

UniversityofMichigan

FlightTerminationUnit
FederalAviationAdministration
Notifypriortoflight Providedetailsaboutlaunchand system Terminateflightuponrequest

FlightTerminationUnit
Microcontrollerreceivesuplink, triggerscurrentdrawfrom9Vbattery, heatsnichrome wirewrappedaround line,releasesballoon Codedtimestampactivation
Avoidsprolongedflightfromneutral buoyancy

4/24/2009

UniversityofMichigan

AttitudeDetermination
3AxisAccelerometer ST LIS331A
Determinespayloadorientation withrespecttogravityvector

SunSensor
MeasurespositionoftheSun relativetotheballoon (5)photodiodesmeasureangle ofSun

4/24/2009

UniversityofMichigan

Mobile GS Design
DevelopedTrackingCapabilities with2SoftwarePackages
APRSPoint+MapPoint BalloonTrack+MapPoint+AGPS
- Real time mapping capabilities - Flight prediction display - Displays user GPS position on map

Serial Serial Garmin GPS Internet Connection Inverter

PWR GND

Dell

RF

PWR GND

Kenwood D-710 4/24/2009 UniversityofMichigan 8

PermanentGSTracking
APRSRotatorController RetrieveGPSdatathroughiGates oromnidirectional antenna ParseAPRSPacketData CalculateAzimuthandElevationfromGroundAntenna Reference Changesrotatorautomaticallytopointatballoonlocation

iGates
4/24/2009 UniversityofMichigan 9

FirstFlightResults
Launch Spring Arbor, MI Max altitude ~76,000 ft. Landed in a tree Minimum success criteria met: recovered payload Analyzing Data

4/24/2009

UniversityofMichigan

10

HardwarePerformance
Receivedbeaconsfrom MicroTrack 300butlostaltitude dataabove27kfeet Beelineneverachievedlock
Faultypatchantenna

TNCXandAlinco providedfew ascent/descentpacketsbutnone above27kfeet CellPhoneTrackerhadlock throughoutflight

Onlyabletoretrievedataunder 5kfeet

Attitudedatafailedtostore onboard Minimumtempof40Fatmax altitude

4/24/2009 UniversityofMichigan 11

FlightDayLessons
Havebackupsforeverything
Balloon,Helium,subsystems,computers, harness

Doafulldryrunpriortoflightday Clear/Easycommunicationbetweenchase teams&permanentGS Bepreparedforanylandingspot Murphyslawalwaysapplies!

4/24/2009

UniversityofMichigan

12

BalloonFuturePlans
Continuedeffortprimarilythrough StudentSpaceSystemFabrication Lab(S3FL)
Studentsalreadydedicatedfor Spring/Summer

Generalrecommendations:
Understandfailuresandmake accordingdesignchanges Configurationalternativesand improvements Datadownlinkcapabilities FTUalternatives
4/24/2009 UniversityofMichigan 13

StudentThermalVacuum
Test Chamber Ion Pump

Dry Scroll Pump Vacuum PC

Turbo-Pump

Sorption Pumps
4/24/2009 UniversityofMichigan 14

SystemCharacteristics
BaselinePressure
2*106 Torr Approximately2hoursforpumpdown

PressureGauges
ThermocoupleGauge
Atmosphericto2*102 Torr

Varian MultiGauge

IonGauge
103 Torr 108 Torr

VarianMultigauge

TemperatureEnvironment
TypeKThermocoupleProbe TemperatureRange:30Cto70C Accomplishedusingliquidnitrogen andpatchheaters

ElectricalInput
DB9Interface

~Additional$15KCost ~15hoursoftrainingforproficiency
UniversityofMichigan 15

Patch Heater

4/24/2009

Helmholtz Cage
Operation:
Matlab driven power supplies 60,000 feet of copper wire Loops generate magnetic field

Capability:
Calibration and characterization of magnetometers Analogue-Orbit simulator with IGRF referenced magnetic fields Verification of magnetic attitude determination

Submitted technical paper to the American Aeronautical Society to be released in August 09

4/24/2009

UniversityofMichigan

16

Thankyou!Questions?
Kiko Dontchev CubeSatDevelopersWorkshop CalPolySanLuisObispo 4/24/09