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EE 189L: Space Vehicles LLC - A Project-based Course for New Students
Students successfully launch their weather balloon (credit: Chris Pauli)Co-instructors:
- Aly El-Osery
- Anders Jorgensen
- Kevin Wedeward
Learning coaches:
- Skyler Fennell
- Caleb Matheson
- Brendan Noone
Topics (roughly by week):
- Welcome and introduction to course
- Measurements, electronics and instrumentation
- Programming the Arduino Uno, LEDs, digital write and PWM
- Analog-to-digital converters, and measurements of temperature via Arduino Uno and thermistor
- Antennas and communications
- Logging data on SD card via Arduino Uno, and plotting with Excel and Matlab
- Interfacing with GPS via Arduino Uno
- Overview of balloon launches and related research at NMT
- Students divide in three teams (logistics, communications and payload) and develop everything needed to launch weather balloon by semester's end
Useful links:
- Cambridge University Spaceflight (CUSF) Landing Predictor - A tool to predict the flight path and landing location of latex sounding balloons.
- High Altitude Science Balloon Performance Calculator - A tool to predict the amount of helium needed for a balloon.
Credits and thanks:
- Ken Eack for demonstrations, wisdom and supplies related to launching a weather balloon
- Chris Pauli for photographs
- Socorro Amateur Radio Club for assistance tracking balloon and communications with chase vehicle
Pictures from flight on 11 Dec 2017:
Payload including Canon PowerShot A560 camera, Tracksoar Ready To Fly and Arduino Uno-based measurement system (credit: Kevin Wedeward)
Filling 600 gram weather balloon with helium (credit: Chris Pauli)
Filling weather balloon (credit: Chris Pauli)
Tying off weather balloon (credit: Chris Pauli)
Preparing to launch weather balloon (credit: Chris Pauli)
Weather balloon after launch (credit: Chris Pauli)
Aerial view of New Mexico Tech and Socorro (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera)
Aerial view of M-mountain (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera)
Aerial view of New Mexico Tech and M-mountain (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera)
Aerial view of Rio Grande Valley (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera)
Aerial view of Magdalena Mountains and horizon (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera)
Aerial view of Rio Grande Valley and horizon (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera)
Aerial view of Rio Grande Valley and horizon (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera)
Aerial view of horizon (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera)
Landing site east of Socorro (credit: Skyler Fennell)
Close-ups of landing site (credit: Skyler Fennell)
Paths of weather balloon and recovery vehicle (credit: aprs.fi and Google)
Altitude of weather balloon reported by Tracksoar/APRS (note updates failed above approximately 40,000 feet for a duration of roughly 30 minutes) and recorded from independent altimeter (credit: Aly El-Osery)
Short video with highlights taken from weather balloon's flight (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera and Aly El-Osery)Longer video with highlights taken from weather balloon's flight (credit: NMT's balloon-based camera and Aly El-Osery)Report abuse