Everyone was away (including me at CERN) for the last telecon on Tuesday May 30, but some progress has been made over the past 2 weeks, so here's a brief run-down on that:
Right now I'm in Hanover NH -- I'll be returning to Victoria the day after tomorrow (June 15) -- and will bring a few small pieces of equipment back with me that were easier/cheaper to have delivered to the U.S. than to Canada. Here's a photo of these new little bits of equipment:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/06/12/18.09-27168-tuffToBringUpToCanada.jpg
On the left you can see two sets of springy shock-absorbing landing gear, which might (or might not) make landings more gentle for the internals. (I nominally intend to use the 4 rear landing gear, and would not use the 2 nose gear, from this pair of sets of gear.) Going from left to right, there are some (uninteresting) nylon nuts and anodized screws, machine pin headers and LEDs, and then a couple extra mini-servos and (new) three HC-SR04 ultrasonic distance indicators (2 packaged up, and one out). These ultrasonic distance indicators could help just before landing via helping to ensure (together with the propulsion) a flat landing (assuming one is landing on a ground surface, of course, rather than e.g. in a tree -- which again the propulsion can, and hopefully eventually will, help in avoiding). Then, a strip of bright multicolour LEDs (that can act as a beacon), a heavy-duty pan-tilt tripod head which will be used as the pan-tilt head for the (large) Deneb ground station antenna, and some photodiode holders for Hamamatsu S2281 photodiodes which will go on the pre- and post-flight cross-check integrating sphere (that is being constructed in the machine shop back at UVic). Then, a nice new digital caliber (they were on sale for $10), and on the right, there is a) a dual battery balance system, so that current will be evenly drawn from both of the primary batteries, and b) a battery backup system for the main board, so that if both batteries (and/or the battery balancer) were to die, this backup would kick in and thus the main board (but not the propulsion) would still be able get a bit of power from that little backup battery. These little things all fly with me to Canada on Wednesday.
FYI, I just had an excellent chat with Yorke 15 minutes ago to catch up on how things are going! -- that was great!
I've translated his (i.e., Yorke's) tracking code for the Meade telescope into Javascript, and integrated it into AIFCOMSS, so that it will now instead work to command one of the 8" Celestron telescopes on the roof of the Bob Wright Bldg. at UVic. Thus, the "Start Telescope ALTAIR Tracking" button on the right-hand side of the lower panel of AIFCOMSS:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/05/30/00.21-49311-MSSScreenshot_29may17.png
is now functional (although not yet fully tested in action with the telescope and ALTAIR).
We're also now starting to work on adding ALTAIR flight path predictions to AIFCOMSS. The code for that will be based on Cambridge University's balloon flight prediction code, which is open source -- see: https://github.com/jonsowman/cusf-standalone-predictor and http://predict.habhub.org . That CU code does not incorporate any propulsion, though, of course (nor an ability to bleed helium, nor of course is it integrated at all yet with AIFCOMSS, or Javascript for that matter).
The other next main step -- trying some long-range telemetry tests -- will resume when I get back to Victoria on Thursday. Before I left for CERN, I made some hardware and software fixes to the Capella ground station and Betelgeuse test box, as well as a new second ground station (similar to Capella, but with our larger [~1.5 meter long, 14 dBi] Yagi antenna, rather than Capella's ~0.6 m, 9 dBi antenna) named Deneb. A photo of the Deneb transceiver box (attached to the Capella antenna, for testing purposes) and ALTAIR-Victoria hanging up in my office, with Betelgeuse and the Capella transceiver box on the windowsill in the background, is at:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/05/15/17.47-9252-etelgeuseCapellaDeneb.jpg
Deneb and Capella both appear to work well now, and we'll be able to do outdoor long-range tests as soon as I get back to Victoria.
The ALTAIR-Victoria payload is fully assembled, and the light sources are functioning nominally:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/04/17/18.41-75359-assembledpayload1.JPG http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/04/17/18.41-60505-assembledpayload5.JPG http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/04/17/18.41-7025-assembledpayload6.JPG http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/04/17/18.41-70408-assembledpayload7.JPG
However: only the light sources themselves have been tested so far -- they need to be tested in concert with the photodiode readout; with the telemetry; with the orientation, GPS, and environmental monitoring; with the onboard data storage; with the propulsion and its monitoring data; etc., etc., etc. Much of the software to combine all that functionality, and resultantly _very_ large number of possible error conditions, still needs to be written. Thus, there remains an enormous amount to do -- including, of course, drop testing, long-range telemetry testing, etc. -- before seriously thinking about a flight ...
Student Nick Hammar, Karun, and I successfully transmitted GPS data from the Betelgeuse test box on top of the roof of the Elliott Bldg. here, to the Capella ground station on top of the Bob Wright Bldg. about 100 m away, when transmitting at the default 10 mW output power of the DNT transceiver (i.e. 100 times lower power than the 1 W of which the DNT is capable). Transmission worked multiple times, but it did cut out occasionally (and require a radio reset each time): the connection was not nearly as rock-solid as I would have liked to see. We'll work on that issue and see if it is due to unavoidable multipath interference (perhaps from the metal parapets around the Bob Wright roof), or from something that is fixable. Following that, the next step is to transmit from the DAO (12 km away) to the Bob Wright roof, and GPS-track a terrestrial light source at the DAO using one of the Celestron telescopes on top of Bob Wright.
Mark Lenckowski has completed the stabilized pole for the new 10-meter-high drop test setup at Victoria:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/12/19/15.28-91194-MeterStabilizedPole_1.jpg http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/12/19/15.28-81425-MeterStabilizedPole_2.jpg
As you can see (faintly), he affixed side-struts and guy wire to the PVC pole, to prevent it from bending in either of the two transverse directions, so it can now be raised to vertical, from horizontal, without bending or breaking. Mark is now working on some carabiner-type attachments for the end of the pole, and he should have those finished in about a week or so.
Recent progress also on the hardware for the pre- and post-flight photometry cross-check device -- the 12" aluminum sphere (a photo of it is attached in a link at the bottom of this message, http://www.sharpeproducts.com/store/aluminum-12-dia-sphere) is now been cut into two hemispheres, with holes for four measurement photodiodes:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/12/19/15.28-19075-Hemispheres1.jpg http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/12/19/15.28-5015-Hemispheres2.jpg
Machinist Chris Secord still needs to cut the large light-entrance port in the top of the first hemisphere, and then we need to paint the interior of both sides with Avian-B paint (after first priming the interior with white powder coat). He's finally gotten a chance to do that work, and it should be coated and completed when I get back to Victoria June 15.
The survey-tripod-mounted device to cross-check yaw-pitch-roll information from the gondola (e.g., on days before/after flights) is mostly constructed now, thanks to Mark Lenckowski -- photo at:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/08/31/18.15-24048-wPitchRollCalibDevice.jpg
and all that remains to be done is a small fitting between the device and the bottom of the payload. The purchased hardware in it includes both the survey tripod (http://www.cpotools.com/cst-berger-60-alwi20-o-aluminum-tripod-with-quick-release--orange-/cstn60-alwi20-o,default,pd.html), two adjustable angle mounts (http://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=AP180), and a rotation mount (https://www.thorlabs.com/thorproduct.cfm?partnumber=RP01). That last fitting to attach (temporarily, pre- or post-flight) the upper adjustable angle mount to the payload feet will be completed here in the next couple weeks.
We're currently revising the draft initial contractual agreement from our colleagues at Globalstar Canada regarding 2 initial SPOT Trace devices (and their service plans) for the educational side-project for the upcoming NATO SPS application, in which classrooms in elementary and high schools could launch company-donated SPOT Traces using party balloons (or a more environmentally-friendly version thereof), and track them to learn more about winds at different levels in Earth's atmosphere.
Another next step, software-wise, is to establish telemetry communication between ALTAIR-Victoria:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/04/17/18.41-75359-assembledpayload1.JPG
and the Betelgeuse test-box:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/08/17/20.30-68004-Betelgeuse1.jpg http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/08/17/20.30-53104-Betelgeuse2.jpg
and to update the control and monitoring software to incorporate the telemetered info, and also implement onboard SD card data storage, as well as storage of the telemetered info.
Houman will send Cordell and/or us updated sections of his master's thesis soon -- that information will be extremely useful to us going forward. Also, Susana and Nathan, it would be very helpful for us all to get the JHU students' final writeup when you have a chance.
Our next grant application will be a NATO "Science for Peace and Security" application, together with Australian colleague partners.
That's all I remember, please send things that I forgot. Next telecon ** tomorrow, at 4 pm Eastern time **.
Cheers, talk to you all tomorrow! justin
On Tue, 30 May 2017 00:31:38 GMT, Justin Albert wrote:
> Hi! > > Telecon tomorrow (May 30 in North America, May 31 in Australia) at the > regular time: 4:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm Pacific, 10 am Hawaii, 22.00 > European, 6 am Eastern Australia). Discussion items include: > flight/telescope plans and tests; construction, drop testing, and other > tests of the new gondolas/payloads; light sources and light source > modelling; goniometric and pre- and post-flight calibration; propulsion > work; nanosat bus and payload solid models; computing/website; grant > applications; and recap of schedules. > > Here's how to connect: > > 1) Open Skype on your computer (note that of course, you should first install Skype, http://www.skype.com , on your machine if you haven't already). > 2) In the "Contacts" menu, add me ( jalbertuvic ) as a contact, if you haven't already. > 3) Just wait for me to Skype-call you at the usual time (4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific). > 4) If there is any trouble, or if you don't get a Skype-call for some reason and would like to join, just send me an e-mail (jalbert@uvic.ca). > > Here's the tentative agenda: > > I) Flight & telescope plans, and upcoming tests > II) Construction, drop tests, and other forms of tests of the new gondolas and payloads here in Victoria. > III) Diffused light source, and its modelling, pre- and post-flight calibration, and goniometric calibrations > IV) Nanosat solid models & Houman's thesis > V) Computing/website, including new flight control and simulation progress. > VI) Grant applications > VII) AOB > > Talk to you all tomorrow, thanks! > justin
Attachments:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/05/22/18.23-24702-12inAlSphere.jpg
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/04/06/16.53-58615-SideView.pdf
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/04/06/16.53-48539-TopView.pdf
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/08/17/20.30-32651-ectronicsBoard17aug16.jpg
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/08/17/20.30-99000-AvianBTestHemisphere.jpg
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/08/17/20.30-68004-Betelgeuse1.jpg
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2016/08/17/20.30-53104-Betelgeuse2.jpg
