Here's a brief rundown of ALTAIR work done over the past weeks -- my apologies for the delay! -- please just reply with (or let me know) any corrections -- thanks! :
The ALTAIR-Victoria payload was "in surgery" all day today, in order to install ADC voltage monitors for the two main batteries (with divide-by-2.83 voltage dividers to bring the 11.1 V down to < 5 V for the ADCs); as well as miniature auto blade fuses, in tiny fuse boxes, for each battery (2 amp fuse for the main board + lights battery, and 50 amp fuse for the propulsion battery). Here's a photo of the installation of the first mini fuse box, in the underside of the gondola top plate:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/11/13/22.04-40915-FirstFuseBoxInstalled.jpg
(the little fuse box is the black thing in the upper left), and here's the underside of the top plate after both fuse boxes were installed:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/11/13/22.04-75854-AIRFuseBoxesInstalled.jpg
as well as the rest of the gondola, and the Capella ground station:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/11/13/22.04-66398-ALTAIR13nov17.jpg
Last week, other required surgery on the top plate was done, in order to install a higher torque cutdown+steering servo (to ensure that the servo has enough torque to actually steer -- it needs to be able to effectively lift 1/2 of the gondola, at the 1 cm lever arm provided by its dual-pulley wheel -- this new one can, but the old one didn't have sufficient torque), and to fix the electrical connection to the helium bleed valve. Here's the gondola in the cutdown setup after that work was done, as well as a closeup of the bleed valve connector:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/11/13/22.04-5740-RDropTestSetup10nov17.jpg http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/11/13/22.04-28748-IRBleedValveConnector.jpg
The new object-oriented telemetry firmware is fully functioning and running on the main board now. After we test the new battery voltage monitoring, the next steps, hardware-wise, will be to refit the gondola shell and make the final electrical connections to the propulsion axis -- and then to do a lot of drop testing (both short drops in our indoor setup in the lab, and then -- when weather permits -- parafoil-opening-testing longer drop tests outdoors).
Students Alexy Decrooq and Kyle Jordan, as well as software expert Layth Holubeshen, have now excellently completed getting the code that runs the balloon flight path predictor running inside of AIFCOMSS:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/07/10/18.55-39312-IFCOMSSwithPredictor1.png http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/07/10/18.55-56749-IFCOMSSwithPredictor2.png
into better shape such that it is much easier to install, and they have also completed relatively easy and reproducible instructions on how to install it (on Windows and Linux platforms). We have now added those instructions as a README at https://github.com/ProjectALTAIR/AIFCOMSSwithCUPredictorTest. The next task is for me to add MacOS instructions to those excellent Linux and Windows instructions, and then to work on updating and improving the flight prediction code itself -- and also, after that, see if we can successfully simulate some form of station-keeping over a region of land, using the actual wind forecasts and data from NOAA, and also reasonable values for drag, propulsive thrust, battery power (as well as some battery recharging with future lightweight solar panels), etc etc.
Machinist Chris Secord has been very busy welding the 12" diameter aluminum sphere that will function as our pre- and post-flight photometry cross-check device, and here's the result of his work:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/08/21/19.38-86577-WeldedSphere.jpg
He still needs to tack-weld the bottom support ring onto the bottom half of the sphere. When he finishes this weld job, we'll then prime the interior with white powder coat, and then use our Avian-B paint to paint over the powder coat (Avian-B sticks far better over a powder coat than directly on aluminum, since Avian-B does not contain etch primer). The sphere should be coated and completed in the next couple of weeks.
ALTAIR-Victoria is fully assembled, and its light sources are functioning nominally:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/10/02/14.50-21791-ALTAIRFittedTop.jpg
however: only the light sources themselves, plus the basic telemetry, have been tested so far -- they both need to be tested in concert with the photodiode readout; 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, more long-range telemetry testing, etc. -- before even 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.
The survey-tripod-mounted device to cross-check yaw-pitch-roll information from the gondola (e.g., on days before/after flights) is 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 to finish the 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 landing gear has been started and 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 add a bunch of additional data information to the telemetry communication between ALTAIR-Victoria:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/06/26/19.25-55880-ALTAIRwithGear.JPG
and the Capella ground station:
http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2017/01/23/21.17-37945-Capella.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 our usual 4:00 pm Eastern time.
Cheers, talk to you all tomorrow! justin
On Mon, 30 Oct 2017 22:19:00 GMT, Justin Albert wrote:
> Hi! > > Telecon tomorrow (Oct. 31 in North America -- happy Halloween -- and > Nov. 1 in Australia) at the regular time: 4:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm > Pacific, 10 am Hawaii, 22.00 European, 7 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 / transition away from > HyperNews; 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/2017/10/02/14.50-21791-ALTAIRFittedTop.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
