Project Astraios · Web viewProject Astraios 2010 19 Team Munchies Gateway t o Space Fall 2010...

Gateway to SpaceFall 2010

Launch Readiness ReviewNovember 2nd 2010

Revision C

Team MunchiesDaniel Sayle, Patrick Byrne, Sarah Kemp, Anna

McLeland, Katie Thompson

Julie Price, 11/15/10,

You have good details about your experiment, but it’s still not clear what the algae will actually be held in. Make sure you follow the outline so that you don’t forget any sections

Project Astraios 2010

Timeline for presentations

Revision Description Date

A/B Critical Design Review Completed

C Launch Readiness Review November 2, 2010

D Analysis and Final Report December 4, 2010

1 Team Munchies


Contents in the Launch Readiness Review

1.0 Mission Overview...............................................................................................................32.0 Requirements Flow Down..................................................................................................33.0 Design.................................................................................................................................44.0 Management.......................................................................................................................85.0 Budget...............................................................................................................................106.0 Test Plan and Results........................................................................................................117.0 Expected Results…………………………………………………………………………12

2 Team Munchies


1.0 Mission OverviewThe purpose of the balloon satellite Astraios is to test whether or not Red Algae can survive the extreme environment of near space at an altitude of approximately 30,500 meters. We will have onboard for the mission eight different samples of algae under different conditions, changing the variables of temperature and pressure. We will also have one ground sample to act as the control. Four samples will be kept heated at a temperature of approximately -10◦C kept warm by a heater, two at the pressure of Boulder and two allowed to adjust to the lower pressure of a near space environment. The other four will be kept cold, allowed to drop to approximately -80◦C and again two kept pressurized and two allowed to change their pressure as the altitude changes. The goal for this team is to provide insight and initial research results into Red Algae’s ability to survive in an extremely cold, air deprived environment.

Background

It is estimated by scientists that Algae produce between 70 and 80 percent of the oxygen on planet Earth. Algae are a photosynthetic organism that requires energy in the form of lights and nutrients, especially phosphates and nitrates to survive. Algae species that require the most UV light (10-400nm) tend to process the most CO2 and consequently produce the most oxygen. We are exploring Red Algae because it is a type of algae that can withstand a large variety of conditions as will be experienced during flight and can photosynthesize in an environment with less UV light such as inside the balloon satellite.

The near space environment we are sending the balloon satellite into has significantly lower temperature, humidity, and pressure which all decrease with altitude. This environment can be considered, to an extent, similar to a polar region like Antarctica. The pressure in Boulder at an altitude of approximately 1600m is approximately 84.4kPa and at the maximum altitude of 30,000m the balloon sat will experience around 3.32kPa. Temperature also will drop from around 5◦C at the ground to about -80 ◦C outside the satellite when it is in the air. The balloon satellite will reach the mid-Stratosphere where Nitrogen and Oxygen still exist to an extent, evidenced by the presence of the ozone layer. This environment of near space is quite similar to a real space environment. Our team hopes that this experiment will indicate algae’s usefulness in space environments in the future.

Source: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University California San Diego

3 Team Munchies


This is the most important part of your overview, it should go more towards the beginning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astraeus


Relevance of project Astraios experiment to the scientific community

The plan for this mission is to perform preliminary research to see how Red Algae survives in an extreme environment such as near space, depending on if the algae samples do survive there is a possibility that this research can be applied to other extreme environments such as high altitude mountains and polar region of Earth. We hypothesis if the algae can survive the flight then it can produce oxygen, possibly aiding atmosphere formation and pollutant cleansing on Earth if required and other planetary bodies. In relevance of NASA and the space community we can investigate the usefulness of algae in aiding the creation of extra-terrestrial settlements, and the terra-forming of Mars.

Hypothesis

The team expects that the algae samples that are pressurized and kept relatively warm (-10 degrees) will be the most likely to survive the extreme conditions best. The samples that are unpressurized and exposed to the extreme cold conditions are expected to fare the worst. Algae samples that did not survive are expected to exhibit a yellow color and a lack of cellular structure.

2.0 Requirements Flow Down The outlined requirements detail what needs to be accomplished in order for Astraios’s successful launch, mission, and recovery. The level 0 mission objectives allow for completion of the goal outlined in the mission statement. These objectives are supported by the level 1 requirements, which in turn contribute to the accomplishment of the goal provided by the mission statement.

Level Requirement Detail

0Mission Objectives

A.1 Balloon Sat Astraios shall reach an altitude of approximately 30,500 m during flight

A.2 The balloon sat shall weigh less than 850gA.3 Project Astraios shall cost less than $300 totalB Astraios shall carry eight algae samples in order to study the

effects of a near space environment under varying conditionsC The algae samples shall be successfully recovered and then

analyzedA.1 Astraios shall be fully assembled and tested by November 3, 2010

and then turned in to COSGC on November 5, 2010A.2 Astraios shall be weighed following assembly to ensure it is

within the weight limit. Reconfiguration will occur if necessary.A.3 Budget manager Sarah Kemp shall ensure that the monetary

budget is adhered toB.1 Team Munchies shall obtain algae from Gulf Coast EcosystemsB.2 Astraios’s design shall quarantine each algae sample from each

other and allow open air exposure for the cold and unpressurised

4 Team Munchies


Your level 0 requirements don’t allow for you to discuss the HOBO, heater, camera, and other parts of your project that are necessary


This section doesn’t necessarily need to be separate from the rest, but it does make it easy to see in this case, so good job


1

samplesB.3 The samples shall be prepared prior to launch, four in sealed

containers and four in ventilated containersC.1 Extensive testing shall occur to ensure that the design adequately

quarantines and protects the samples during flight: Cold, Whip, Drop, and Kick.

C.2 An experiment on the ground shall take place during launch to provide control samples with which to compare the resulting flight samples particularly the pressurized samples.

C.4 The recovered flight samples shall be examined visually in a microscope to determine condition of specimens and most importantly if they are alive.

D.1 The condition of the flight samples shall be compared with the condition of samples established during testing and from ground samples

D.2 Temperature, humidity, pressure and altitude data shall be used to understand under what conditions and at which approximate altitude the samples died if they did.

3.0 DesignStructural design

The main structure will be a foam core cube that will contain a special programmed camera, two HOBOs (one temperature/humidity and one pressure), two external temperature probes, a heater, insulation, and eight samples of algae. Four heated sample will be located on the inside of the satellite, two sealed and two unsealed. Four cold samples will be located in smaller cubes that will be attached to the top of Astraios. The cubes will be constructed of single sheets of foam core, cut and folded into shape. The dimensions of the main cube will be 21 cm x 21 cm x 9.5 cm and the dimensions of the smaller cubes on top will be 6.8cm x 6.4cm x 3.8cm.

The joints will be adhered with hot glue and reinforced with aluminum tape. Holes will be cut in the center of the top and bottom panels of the main cube to accommodate the plastic tubing and flight cord. The tubing will be secured in place by washers and the flight cord will be clamped into place by paper clips. There will additionally be a hole cut and window constructed in one side of the cube to enable the camera to take pictures. The internal algae samples will be wrapped in bubble wrap, placed into notches in the insulation of the main cube and be tapped down to insure stabilization. The external samples will also be wrapped in bubble wrap and will be placed into two smaller cubes that will be hot glued to the top of the main cube. Prior to launch day, the samples will be placed inside these boxes and will be sealed.

5 Team Munchies


What kind of container are the samples actually in?


After the structure was tested for durability and the design had been finalized, insulation of the main cube was added and the hardware was arranged within it. The components were secured and tested again to ensure they would stay in place. The components are secured inside the cube with Velcro and string. The hardware and samples are distributed around the floor of the satellite in an effort to balance the load, taking into consideration the location of the heater. The heater location is very important because it must keep the algae samples warm. After installation, the hardware was turned on and the subsystems were tested for a period of 60 minutes, ensuring functionality. Then it was tested using dry ice in cold conditions. Finally, a complete mission simulation was done.

During this time period, the team also conducted tests on the algae to gather data for use when analyzing the samples that will be sent up in the satellite. Drop tests were done to ensure the Algae and the containers they were in could survive the impact of landing. Whip tests took place to ensure the balloon satellite will stay attached to the flight cord. Finally, the algae was observed intensely under a microscope after being exposed to a range of conditions. The tests also focused on what would occur physically to the algae when subject to cold temperatures and low pressures. This will help the team determine the outcome of the experiment.

Whip test Stair test

The cube will finally be sealed on launch day after the HOBO’s, heater and camera have been activated. The algae will also be placed inside the cube on launch day with a thin layer of cotton wool at the top of each container. This is to prevent water stored inside the algae container to be absorbed in the event of a landing when the containers are not orientated upwards. The algae samples of particular concern are the unpressurised ones with holes in the top. The water could damage the HOBO’s and cause corruption or loss of data.

6 Team Munchies


This sentence needs to be reworded, but will your results be affected if all of the water leaks out?


Why and how?


During flight, we will be running a temperature probe near the four interior samples so we can collect in-cube flight data about the conditions they experience. Another temperature probe will run outside of the structure to collect data of the different conditions outside the main structure. The pressure HOBO will also collect in flight data of how the pressure changes. The hole constructed to allow the camera to take pictures will allow air flow into cube to change the pressure. Temperature probes and pressure probes will take data every ten seconds and the camera will take a picture every 20 seconds during flight.

Upon return, the data will be downloaded and critically analyzed. The algae will be observed under a microscope straight after recovery, comparing it to the samples we have tested on Earth to see how it fared. These observations and data will then allow us to draw conclusions about algae’s potential for use in space and other extreme environments.

(Structure at end of structure tests below)

7 Team Munchies


Functional Block Diagram

8 Team Munchies


Hardware:

Item Place of PurchaseHeater Provided by COSGCVelcro Provided by COSGCCamera (w/ 2 AA Batteries) Provided by COSGCHOBO (2) Provided by COSGCAdditional Probe Provided by COSGC9V Batteries (3 flight, 3 test) TargetBattery for Pressure HOBO Allied ElectronicsAlgae Samples (8) Gulf Coast EcosystemsContainers for Algae Provided by AnnaPlastic Tubing Provided by COSGCWashers Provided by COSGCPaperclips Provided by COSGCTest String Provided by COSGCFoam Core Provided by COSGCHot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks Provided by COSGCAluminum Tape Provided by COSGCInsulation Provided by COGCDry Ice King Soopers*COSGC – Colorado Space Grant Consortium

9 Team Munchies


Experiment Design

Team Munchies began the experimental process of testing the algae by ordering one unit of Red Algae (multiple samples can be obtained from the one 6-8 inch long colony) from Gulf Coast Ecosystems. The first Algae samples were ordered on the October 7, 2010 and the algae to be used during flight was ordered during the week of October 25, 2010. Prior to testing and flight the Algae was and will be kept in the bag in which it was shipped in containing salt water and is being exposed to sunlight to keep the sample photosynthesizing.

Our balloon satellite will contain the eight separate experimental samples under varying conditions. Four samples will be placed inside sealed pressurized containers to maintain the pressure of Boulder on launch day. The other four samples will not be pressurized and will have holes made in the containers to see how they survive without high levels of CO2 and other gases to sustain them. Four of the samples will be placed in the cube with the heater and the other four will be exposed to the colder temperatures. Our design will utilize an extension of two smaller cubes integrated onto the main cube that will contain the cold air samples. This may be vented with small cut outs in the foam core to allow air inside depending on the temperature.

After landing, the samples will be removed and immediately transferred into air tight plastic bags filled with saltwater where they will remain until they can be observed through a microscope. Changes of color, cell structure and processes occurring will be observed. During testing the changes we are looking for will be identified. The plastic bags will be kept in a Styrofoam cooler in an effort to maintain a consistent temperature. There will also be cotton wool placed in the top of the pressurized and unpressurized samples to absorb the water upon landing. It is expected the containers with holes will lose the water upon landing due to them landing on their side or maybe upside down. Therefore the cotton wool will soak up the moisture to avoid the water touching the electronic components inside the main cube. To make the testing of algae fair cotton wool will also be placed in the sealed containers. The algae are expected to land back on Earth and be a maximum of one hour unattended before recovery of the samples.

Mission requirements

The team has chosen to test algae for its additional scientific experiment. Extensive testing was done to ensure that the satellite could survive flight and landing. The flight string interface will be constructed with plastic tubing, washers, and paperclips. The heater and insulation will be utilized to maintain internal temperature. The team has weighed the satellite and its components and has made the necessary modifications to ensure it met its maximum mass of 850 grams. Ascent and descent rates will be determined using the ultimate altitude reached by the balloon satellite and the duration of ascent and descent as determined by temperature and pressure data. All required hardware has be accommodated into the design. The team built with foam core and has anticipated the cost of spare parts, batteries, dry ice, algae. The outside of the satellite will bear contact information and a US and Isle of Man flag. Units have been and will be converted to

10 Team Munchies


metric. Transportation to launch has been planned. The team will follow its outlined safety procedures and return all hardware in working condition. The budget manager has been diligent when keeping track of expenses and receipts and hardware has been ordered with Chris Koehler’s CU MasterCard. All of these current design components and plans enable Team Munchies to meet RFP requirements.

4.0 Management This section describes in detail the managerial and task structure of Team Munchies as well as the schedule proposed to meet the mission requirements of launching successfully on November 6th, 2010, the primary chosen launch date.

Management and Task Structure :

Team Leader is Daniel Sayle

Task Lead SecondaryManagement Daniel SayleScience Patrick Byrne Daniel SayleDesign Daniel Sayle Patrick ByrneBudget Sarah Kemp Daniel SayleTechnical Sarah Kemp Katie ThompsonConstruction Katie Thompson Anna McLelandTesting Katie Thompson Anna McLelandDocumentation Anna McLeland Sarah Kemp

11 Team Munchies


This is confusing to read, a regular flow chart works much better for a quick view of what people are doing and who reports to whom


Schedule :

The following dates reflect the major events in preparation for launch and after completion:

Date EventSeptember 7, 2010 (T) Request for ProposalsSeptember 16, 2010 (Th) Conceptual Design Review (proposal/present)September 23, 2010 (T) [appt.] Authority to Proceed/Order HardwareSeptember 29, 2010 (W) Team MeetingOctober 4, 2010 (M) Team MeetingOctober 5, 2010 (T) DD Rev A/B & CDR slides dueOctober 6, 2010 (W) Team Meeting- ConstructionOctober 10, 2010 (Sun) Team Meeting- Construction/Structure TestingOctober 12, 2010 (T) HW 5 dueOctober 13, 2010 (W) Team Meeting- Construction/Structure TestingOctober 17, 2010 (Sun) Team Meeting- Testing: Payload and FunctionOctober 18, 2010 (M) Algae testingOctober 20, 2010 (W) No meeting due to Algae testing sessionOctober 24, 2010 (Sun) LaunchSat constructed

12 Team Munchies


You should show what has already been completed


Systems test HOBO CameraOctober 25, 2010 (M) Finish TestingOctober 26, 2010 (T) Pre-Launch Inspection with Hardware

(exterior testing must be complete)October 27, 2010 (W) Algae drop test / cold test DD Rev C & SlidesOctober 28, 2010 (Th) Mission Simulation

(All testing complete)November 1, 2010 (Mon) DD Rev C & Slides preparation completedNovember 2, 2010 (T) DD Rev C& LRR due (present)November 3, 2010 (W) Finalize Balloon SatNovember 5, 2010 (F) [appt.] Final weigh in and TURN INNovember 6, 2010 (Sat) LAUNCH + Algae analysisNovember 9, 2010 (T) Have Raw DataNovember 10, 2010 (W) Team Meeting-PresentationNovember 14, 2010 (Sun) Team Meeting-PresentationNovember 17, 2010 (W) Team Meeting-PresentationNovember 28, 2010 (Sun) Team Meeting-PresentationNovember 30, 2010 (T) Final Presentation and Report dueDecember 4, 2010 (Sat) Design Expo & DD Rev D dueDecember 7, 2010 (T) Hardware TURN INTeam meetings are every Sunday and Wednesday from 6 to 9 pm. The team will meet additional days as needed. The most significant time limitation arises from testing. Although there are many tests needed and it would have been ideal to perform several repetitions of each, time limited the extent of the testing. Team Munchies has tested efficiently in order to work around this limitation.

5.0 Budget and weight constraints

Item Place of Purchase Cost WeightAlgae (3 samples) Gulf Coast Ecosystems $69 120gCamera Provided $0 220gHeater Provided $0 100gHOBO Provided $0 30gPressure Sensor (HOBO)

Space Grant $0 20g

Additional Temp. Probe

Space Grant $0 ~12g

Battery for HOBO Allied Electronics $10.24 10gPlastic Bags Target $5 (4)-~5gBubble Wrap Office Depot $5 ~5gPlastic Tubing Provided $0 ~12gWashers Provided $0 ~50gPaperclips Provided $0 ~2g

13 Team Munchies


Test String Provided $0 N/AFoam core Provided $0 ~50gAdditional Foam core Michaels Craft Store $2 ~25gVelcro Provided $0 ~10gHot Glue and Glue Provided $0 ~20gAluminum Tape Provided $0 ~20gInsulation Provided $0 ~50gBatteries (6-9V, 2-AA) Target $20 (3-9V)-108gDry Ice Safeway $15 N/AStyrofoam Cooler Owned $0 N/A

Total: $126.24 Total: 840gTeam Munchies will keep its budget through careful planning and efficient use of materials. It will also handle anything that can be broken with care to prevent the need for replacement. Sarah Kemp will ensure that this happens. The team will adhere to weight requirements by ensuring that the total weight is less than 850 grams and reconfiguring the design if necessary to meet this limit.

6.0 Test Plan Structural Testing

The team has performed structural tests in the form of the drop test, whip test and kick test. 800g of rocks were used as mass simulation. The design prototype was dropped from heights of at least 20ft feet and was kicked down a three flight staircases to test durability for landing and expected resultant tumbling. Whip tests were performed by attaching the prototype to a cord approximately six feet long. One team member held the end of the cord and swirled the cube at various speeds and for varying durations in an effort to determine how the design would survive balloon burst. The results of each test led to ideas for design refinement and ultimately, the final selection for the design of the balloon sat.

Functional Testing

Before the hardware was installed into the satellite, subsystem tests on the camera, heater, and HOBO’s were performed to ensure complete functionality. Included in the functional testing, the team performed a camera test after securing it within the satellite to see if it takes clear images. The camera will be turned on and will begin taking pictures. With the entire satellite assembled and all mechanical hardware turned on, the team performed normal tests and then cooler tests with dry ice inside of a Styrofoam cooler to ensure that the design provided enough insulation to

14 Team Munchies


What did you change about the design? That is part of your testing results


You need more detail about how you preformed each test, and more results


shield the mechanisms from the extreme cold. No part of the internal structure will be below -10° C.

Experiment Testing

Several tests have been conducted on the algae samples before launch. Initially, the team looked at a sample of live algae through a microscope to determine its basic structure and features. A sample was then killed by freezing it with dry ice and was observed through a microscope to understand the visible changes that would occur in the event that a flight sample dies. The algae will be deemed dead when the sample’s pigmentation cells group together and the majority of the slide view is a brownish color. Also a trait of dying algae is the loss of structure among the cells in the microscopic view (see below). Another sample was frozen and observed every five minutes in an effort to understand at what temperature the algae is likely to freeze in flight.

Live sample (Left) and Decaying sample (Right)

Several samples were sealed in the glass canisters identical to the in-flight canisters, and left to die either in a freezer or out in the open. This tested how the samples would react to loss of breathable air, and to unfavorable temperatures. Of the test samples, the frozen ones lost on average 20.5% of their mass upon expiration, with the ones left in open air losing 10% of mass. We also observed a trend where the samples that were in canisters with the caps left off lost around 5% more mass than the ones with the lids screwed on tight. Therefore, these results lead us to believe the warmest samples that allow for the least amount of air to leave their canister will lose the least mass. This would indicate quantitively the effects of the flight on our samples. Our preliminary tests did not allow for the samples to completely dry out and wither, but they did illustrate a trend in decay as the algae samples die. For the flight, we will dry our algae samples as we mass them. Algae samples lose roughly .001 grams per few seconds as they are exposed to open air, which is a neglegable difference as the main factor in mass changes should be from the conditions experienced during the flight.

Mission Testing

15 Team Munchies


To simulate mission conditions, the cold and subsystems tests lasted approximately 60 minutes to allow the temperature to align with mission conditions and to check that the hardware will remain operational for the duration of the flight. Drop tests simulated landing and tumbling while whip tests simulated in-flight conditions. Additionally, mission simulations were performed in class on October 28. We have certified that the satellite will be able to survive flight through these tests and as a result prove that it will be able to fly again. The graphs below show the results of the cold test, all systems were functional during this test. Also see a picture taken by the camera taken during testing.

16 Team Munchies


Your plot should be labeled better. Did your external temperature never get below about -20°C? Was that temperature low enough and your test long enough to prove that your heater will work for the whole flight?


17 Team Munchies


Test Results

The structural tests were mainly to test the small cubes attached on top of the satellite holding the external samples. The tests showed no failures in any part of the structure. The dimensions were altered to have a slightly more than an inch taken off the length and width of the sides of the structure. This decision was due to overweight issues and not structural issues. This slightly smaller cube should not affect the integrity of the design. The subsystems tests proved to work sufficiently confirming our hopes for a glitch free flight.

18 Team Munchies


Safety

During construction the team was very careful while using the exacto knife to cut the foam core, keeping a board underneath the foam and removing fingers from the line of cutting. The materials were disposed of properly including our algae samples which the team handled with care. During drop and whip testing, the team stood away from the cube, also taking care not to endanger passersby. When handling dry ice the team protect themselves properly with gloves. At least two team members will always be present during construction and testing. The team has been conscious of each other’s safety during this process and will be careful during launch.

7.0 Expected ResultsData Retrieval

Through testing of the algae, a control sample will be established at the altitude of Boulder, approximately 5,430 feet. The appearance of the dead algae has been determined through use of the microscope and a hypothesis about its survival has been formed after the conclusion of the cold tests. During flight, one sample will remain on the ground, at ground temperature and pressure, in order to have a control sample for pressure on launch day. The HOBOs will record data in flight about temperature and humidity and pressure. After landing, this data will be downloaded onto a computer. The algae samples will be removed immediately from the satellite and kept in sealed containers in a Styrofoam cooler to minimize contamination and temperature fluctuation until they can be examined under a microscope. Once the samples are returned to the school, we can assume any differences between the control group and the other samples was due to the conditions they experienced on the flight. Based on the outward appearance of the samples as well as their cellular appearance, Team Munchies will be able to draw conclusions about their survival using the control samples for temperature gathered during testing and pressure gathered on launch day for comparison. Furthermore, we have found in the testing phases that dying algae samples of our species will release water upon expiration, thus decreasing the mass as time passes. Differences in mass from before and after the flight will add to the rigor of our conclusions. The comparison of the samples’ appearance as well as the temperature and pressure data will be synthesized into a conclusion about the extent to which algae can survive extreme conditions. Below are pictures of live algae.

19 Team Munchies

Project Astraios · Web viewProject Astraios 2010 19 Team Munchies Gateway t o Space Fall 2010...

Documents

Transcript of Project Astraios · Web viewProject Astraios 2010 19 Team Munchies Gateway t o Space Fall 2010...