Here's a brief run-down on progress made over the past 2 weeks:
The ALTAIR-Victoria gondola+payload has a snazzy new look, thanks to: 1) new shock-absorbing landing gear, and 2) three sets of downward-pointing ultrasonic distance indicators:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/06/26/19.25-55880-ALTAIRwithGear.JPG
Both these landing gear and the distance indicators will be for use in making landings gentle (as possible), and also flat.
We've also started to work on adding ALTAIR flight path predictions to AIFCOMSS. As the first step in that, I've added some code to AIFCOMSS to take a file containing the output of a flight path prediction (once made) and display it on the Windytv map:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/06/26/19.25-83057-MSSScreenshot_26jun17.png
The blue piecewise line that represents a pseudo-"flight path prediction" is the output from the CUSF balloon flight prediction code when it was run yesterday -- hence it does not represent the current predicted flight path (yet) -- it's just there as a placeholder. The next step, of course, is to get the predictor code to be run directly from AIFCOMSS. However, the above is certainly some progress, especially since we additionally now have the CUSF predictor code successfully running on a local Linux machine here, as can be seen in the following screenshots:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/06/26/19.25-8599-ngLocalCUSFPredictor1.png http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/06/26/19.25-60039-ngLocalCUSFPredictor2.png http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/06/26/19.25-62217-ngLocalCUSFPredictor3.png
and, thus, integrating it into AIFCOMSS shouldn't be overwhelmingly difficult (cross fingers).
We'll try some long-range telemetry tests when our MITACS Globalink summer undergraduate student, Alexy Decrooq, arrives from France late this week. To help with our upcoming tests, I purchased some Motorola T400 walkie-talkies:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/06/26/19.26-71654-WalkieTalkies.JPG
(which claim a 56 km range!), so that Alexy and I will be able to communicate with each other during the long-range telemetry tests, without our running up big cell phone bills. Also, the Deneb ground station is now fully attached to its large antenna, tripod, and heavy-duty pan-tilt head:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/06/26/19.26-863-Deneb.JPG
We'll work on making sure that telemetry connections are as rock-solid as possible, and then see if a) we can transmit from the DAO (12 km away) to the Bob Wright roof, and then b) GPS-track a terrestrial light source at the DAO using a Celestron telescope on top of Bob Wright.
ALTAIR-Victoria is fully assembled, and its light sources are functioning nominally, 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 ...
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 has now cut the large light-entrance port in the top of the first hemisphere. His next step is to weld a short (~1") length of 6" diameter tube onto the input port (for mechanical mount purposes), 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 getting a chance to do this work, and it should be coated and completed in the next couple of weeks.
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 *** 4:30 *** pm Eastern time (i.e., 1/2 hour later than usual).
Cheers, talk to you all tomorrow! justin
On Mon, 12 Jun 2017 20:20:42 GMT, Justin Albert wrote:
> Hi! > > Telecon tomorrow (June 13 in North America, June 14 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
