Here are minutes of our meeting on Thursday -- please just reply with, or let me know, any corrections -- thanks!:
Phoning in: Yorke Brown (Dartmouth), Houman Hakima and Cordell Grant (UTIAS-SFL), and Susana Deustua (STScI)
A flight (Vermont -> New Hampshire daytime flight for parafoil observation) was planned for this weekend, but we were very unfortunately rained out -- both Saturday and Sunday (today) were rainy. Yorke and crew (undergrads Waad, Cynthia, and Angela) will try again this coming weekend (I fly back to Seattle on Wednesday) however the forecast for this coming weekend in NH presently looks poor as well. We're currently restricted to weekends since the Dartmouth undergrads are in classes during the week, however that restriction will be lifted when Karun, Ryan, and I return to NH on May 10, and then we will have sufficient person-power here for mid-week launches and recoveries as well, thus we look forward to lots of flights in May.
Laboratory calibration-wise: Arnold and Bill Neil (an NRC scientific support staff member) have obtained goniometric data from the spheres and our sources, and have sent an extremely useful report with their data. The 2" sphere has issues with a brightness peak from the first bounce from the input light source, especially when the sphere is viewed from more than 40 degrees off normal to the output port, so we need to study baffling (and also possibly the addition of a diffuser, or some flaring of the input fiber). Karun and Divya Bhatnagar (new grad student) will be working on numerical modelling of both the present and the future integrating spheres, the latter with and without different baffles in place.
At UTIAS-SFL, Houman has completed the initial design of the new integrating spheres, and on that front is waiting for info on baffles from Karun and Divya. He and Cordell are also continuing to work on the solid modelling for the nanosat bus, and on the optical path and modelling from the new laser module design through the integrating sphere.
On computing/website, things appear stable -- please just either post a note or let me know if any fixes or changes are needed.
Regarding grant applications, I'll make a few more updates to the DND-NSERC project proposal after all my grades are in here (by mid-week this week) -- we'll need the info on baffles (and diffusers etc) before the integrating sphere part of that application can be complete, but there are other things that can be improved in that proposal in the meantime. Susana and Nathan are very interested in submitting a U.S. proposal sometime soon -- and will interface with me, Yorke, and Stubbs regarding info from previous applications. Applications could of course focus on nanosat, balloon flights, or both. The best focus would likely depend on the requested budget, which in turn depends on granting program.
That's all I remember, please send things that I forgot. Next telecon as usual in two weeks, on Thursday, May 8, at 2:30 pm Eastern time.
cheers, thanks all! justin
On Thu, 24 Apr 2014 01:10:51 GMT, Justin Albert wrote:
> Hi, > > Telecon tomorrow (Apr. 24) at our regular time of 2:30 pm Eastern time > (11:30 am Pacific, 20.30 European). Discussion items include: plans for > a Vermont -> New Hampshire flight and observation this weekend, > goniometric calibration, pre- and post-flight calibration, nanosat and > new laser module design, computing/website, grant applications, and > recap of operation plans. A reminder of the CSA project timeline is > attached. > > Here's the dial-in info: If you are calling in from Canada or U.S.: > 1. Dial Toll-Free Number: 866-740-1260 (U.S. & Canada) > 2. Enter 7-digit access code: 5082741 followed by the # > > If you are calling in from elsewhere: > 1. To locate International Toll-Free Numbers go to > http://www.readytalk.com/intl (enter 7-digit access code 5082741) > 2. Dial toll free number from web link > 3. Enter Passcode: Enter 7-digit ACCESS CODE: 5082741 followed by the # > > Here's the tentative agenda: > I) Plans for a VT-NH flight this weekend (and other operational work) > II) Pre- and post-flight calibration and goniometric calibrations > III) Planning for observatory calibration flights in Hawaii, Arizona, & Chile > IV) Nanosat, new integrating spheres, and multicolour laser module designs > V) Computing/website > VI) Grant applications > VII) AOB > > Talk to you all tomorrow, > justin > > Attachments: > http://projectaltair.org/HyperNews/get/AUX/2012/11/12/18.02-43361-Schedule-20120702_hqp.pdf >