INTRODUCTION: The proposed class is an introductory interested in spaceflight. Today’s students are inspired by the 2009 Icarus Projects by MIT students and the recent commercial flights by SpaceX to the International Space Station. In addition, the industry is emerging as other companies such as Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and others are emerging as competing commercial spaceflight companies. We are in an emerging market for spaceflight in commercial applications, universities, and colleges. Researchers and hobbyists are taking advantage. Today’s technology allows us to successfully launch lighter-than-air flight vehicles to near space region of the Stratosphere and take pictures of the blackness of space and curvature of the earth. Further advancement will allow for space payloads to be launched from the elevation of the Stratosphere. The SL-2061 vehicle has been developed as a hands on opportunity for students to dive into spaceflight business and technology. The instructional program part of a non-credit workforce development and community education program. The venue is recommended to be at a community college or community education school and held in the classroom, phone conference, and onsite field trip. COURSE TITLE:
Spaceflight Business & Technology
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Earn your wings in spaceflight business and technology. Work hands on with the SL-2061 vehicle and participate in it’s launch, near-space suborbital flight, and recovery. Design the near-space payload package. Learn how to follow regulations for FAA and FCC regulations, Flight launch planning Meteorology forecasting. Be part of flight operations, from forecasting trajectory, launch, in-flight reconnaissance, and post-flight recovery. Be active in the business aspect of spaceflight through fundraising using crowdfunding resource IndieGoGo. MEETINGS:
(1) (2) (3)
INSTRUCTOR FEE: CLASSROOM:
Classroom- Saturday morning - Instructional training 4 hours total Pre-launch - Sunday morning - Hands on training, 4 hours total (Mount Greylock) Launch/Recovery Sunday morning - Launch & recovery, 4 hours total (Mount Greylock) Based only on 4 hours classroom instruction to ensure tuition is down. Other times volunteer
Any standard classroom with whiteboard or chalkboard. No computer station needed.
MATERIALS FEE:
All funds for material will be supported through Crowd Funding on IndieGoGo. No fees required. Students will learn fundraising for materials
INSTRUCTOR BIO: David K. Ewen, M.Ed. formally a student of mathematics has been a systems programmer for mainframe applications. He has interviewed astronauts Dr. Thomas D. Jones (4 space shuttle missions) and from Apollo 14, Dr. Edgar Mitchell (6th man walk on the moon on Apollo 14). David is the founder of Kelvin Projects and has developed the SL-2061 as an exploratory training spaceflight vehicle.
Inspired by the. $150.00 Icaraus Project by Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2009, a flight vehicle has been developed. The M.I.T project involved launching a sound balloon that carried a camera that took pictures of the curvature of the Earth and blackness of space in the Stratosphere. The flight vehicle developed by Kelvin Projects is called Kelvin SL-2061-A. The letter suffix represents the flight. SL represents Sky Launcher
Helium Sounding Balloon 350g $100 www.KaymontBalloons.com Helium tank to fill balloon $100.00 Cut-down mechanism - FAA regulation (unkown if required for small payload ) Rocket Parachute 5' diameter $50 www.the-rocketman.com/chutes
Radar Reflector (FAA Regulation) 3D Intersecting cardboard & Aluminum tape manufactured at Kelvin Projects
Payload Capsule: Styrofoam Cooler carries the payload www.MrBoxOnline.com
Connection is by nylon rope and nylon zip ties. $20
In the United States, there are two sets of regulations governing launching and tracking high-altitude weather balloons. One is from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the other is from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ● ● ● ● ●
Cell Phones are not permitted to track high-altitude weather balloons in flight. Payloads cannot exceed a package weight/size ratio of three ounces per square inch. * No payload package can exceed 6 lb in weight. Entire weight of all payloads cannot exceed 12 lb in total weight (Excludes weight of balloon). No rope or cable should be used which requires more than 50lb of force to separate payload packages from balloon.
At 3,491 feet, Mount Greylock in Lanesborough is the highest point in Massachusetts. Visitor Center 30 Rockwell Road, P.O Box 138 Lanesborough, MA 01237 413-499-4262 E-Mail: mass.parks@state.ma.us Overnight staging can be at a local motel in the area
We will Plan and Predict the Flight Path: http://www.habhub.org/predict We will Record Launch & Landing by Android GPS location Tracking procedure has yet to be determined. We would like to have Onboard GPS tracking of altitude & Lat/Long to website. Need ability to receive data from GPS satellites and transmit to tracking. Most GPS tracking devices do not operate as high as the stratosphere (or above 60K feet). GPS tracking tool may be supported by: http://www.byonics.com More research required. The idea is to have GPS telemetry downlinked via packet radio in APRS format http://aprs.org/ Spot Satellite Messenger/Tracker - It stops transmitting at 60K feet and restarts at 15K feet during descent. http://www.findmespot.com/en
The stratosphere is the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It is under the mesosphere and above the troposphere. The Kelvin SL-2061 will travel to about the desired 90,000 feet (17 miles). The temperature is about minus 50 degrees celsius (or minus 58 degrees fahrenheit) This environment is enough to stop batteries from working. Environmental control to keep the capsule warm will be done by the use of active coal chemical heat packs for example hand warmers or back warmers found at any major pharmacy store. Some examples of retail outlets are Walgreens, CVS, and Rightaid. To ensure payload power is maintained in this harsh environment, the Android device will have supplemental power via USB charger powered by Lithium AA batteries.
Active coal chemical heat pack ●
Hand or back warmers
Android Cell Phone (Prepaid) ● ● ●
CAMERA: Using APP called "Time lapse Droid" GROUND GPS LOCATER: APPs: www.WheresMyDroid.com www.locatemydroid.com GPS tracking on ground (not in flight), Auto-ring for sound beacon USB phone charger that uses Lithium AA batteries
GPS Tracking (tools to be determined) ● ●
Byonics: Resources from Byonics - http://www.byonics.com/tinytrak/gps.php SPOT GPS Tracker - SPOT GPS Tracker - http://www.findmespot.com/en
Notify F.A.A. before launching with NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) by calling 1-800-WXBRIEF Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20591 1-866-TELL-FAA (1-866-835-5322)
(1) Launch early in morning on a sunny day with little or no wind. (2) Before launch predict landing via http://habhub.org/predict/ (3) Send recovery team to the assumed recovery site (4) Fill balloon with helium after launch decision is a "GO" (5) Start Android Time Lapse Camera and secure (6) Seal Payload Capsule (7) Via cell phone communication, announce launch to all support teams (8) Release SL-2061 for Launch.
Operation of Helium Filled Sound Balloon ● Each cubic foot of helium can lift 28 grams ● Free lift = amount of lift minus weight of payload/capsule ● Each pound of Free lift equates to 300 feet per minute ascent rate Example: 61 cubic feet of helium lifting payload of 800 grams would have 2 pounds of free lift. This makes the ascent rate 600 feet per minute. At 90K feet, the barometric pressure is lower so a 5' diameter balloon (1000 gram) would expand to 20' to 25' and explode resulting in decent and parachute deployment. The average ascent is 90 minutes and the descent is 30 minutes. Plan on a 2 to 3 hour flight with a launch early in the morning. Flight predicted before launch ● http://www.habhub.org/predict GPS Tracking ● Resources from Byonics - http://www.byonics.com/tinytrak/gps.php ● SPOT GPS Tracker - http://www.findmespot.com/en ● Andrioid GROUND tracking via apps www.WheresMyDroid.com www.locatemydroid.com
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Advance landing site determined by Prediction http://habhub.org/predict/
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Balloon bursts
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Parachute deploys
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Navigational Telemetry Tracking through GPS
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Recovery team acquires payload and vehicle
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Propose recovery team be Boy Scouts of America www.Scouting.org
http://nearsys.com/ http://makezine.com/24/weatherballoons/ http://space.1337arts.com/ https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/187 http://hab-ham.org