New Project Night on Wednesday - Live Video from the edge of space

[Karl]

All,

Wednesday night @ 7pm is the Stratosphere experiment night [loud cheer for from the audience]. Hopefully all artisans are aware of my first project - Live Video from the edge of space. Yes ambitious I know, lets face it, the pay off will be well worth it.

I've knocked together a small functional design (see below). Please get the word out and attend this inaugural project meeting - usual rules apply, no membership no touchy. The agenda for this meeting is to thrash out a high level design and divide the tasks between all project artisans. At the moment we have recruited a network / Linux expert, a mathematical/ electronics enthusiast and a control systems engineer. If your interested in joining us.Or know someone who will be interested, then we will hopefully see you at the factory at 7pm on this coming Wednesday (21st Oct). 

Thanks in advance for your support.

Karl

 

The Stratosphere Experiment: Live Video from the edge of Space

Background

2009 has seen the many attempts by hobbyist groups to launch weather balloons using a payload comprising of Commercially Off The Shelf (COTS) components to achieve a low-cost entry photography from the earth's stratosphere. 

The Stratosphere is the second major layer of Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and below the mesosphere. It is stratified in temperature, with warmer layers higher up and cooler layers farther down. This is in contrast to the troposphere near the Earth's surface. Due to this inverted temperature profile, the stratosphere has relatively low turbulence which commercial jets leverage.

Due to the dangers of a flash explosions, hobbyist groups typically use a latex high altitude Sounding balloon filled with the inert helium gas as apposed to hydrogen which is more cost effective. The balloons are easily capable of lifting a sub 1.8 kg payload in in line with aviation regulation (footnote needed). 

The balloon is manually launched and will ascend into earth's Stratosphere until it reaches the balloons defined maximum attitude at which point the balloon has expanded beyond its maximum threshold and explodes. The payload then acting under the forces of gravity and air resistance (controlled by the parachute) falls back to earth for collection.

Many designs have been tested - payloads that transmits a continues low bandwidth data channel (comprising of location and environmental stats) and deploy and retrieve method where the payload on transmits a location gsm signal on landing. However both systems need to to be collected in order to receive the high-Fidelity data i.e. high resolution pictures.

Requirements

The delivery of a sub 4lbs (~1.8 kg) payload  into the earths stratosphere. The payload will be capable of broadcasting high fidelity live video over the Internet while being tracked by a ground station. Once the payload reaches its apex, it will safely return to earth for collection.    

Constraints

The payload shall be designed to operate under the following environment/legislative conditions.

• Max speed > 200km
• Max Altitude = 20 - 35 km
• Operating temperature = 40 - 50 °C
• Air pressure =???
• Max descent speed = ??? - so we don't kill someone nor will the payload will be within reach of collection
• Max lift speed =??? (will depend on balloon volume and gas used hydrogen versus helium)
• Max rotational of payload = ????. e.g 1 revolution per 30 sec (other wise picture quality will degrade).
• Max payload = 1.81 Kg (i.e 4 Lbs) legislation requirements

Methodology

As there are many firsts in this project for the artifactory. Therefore mitigation of failure is a must so the project team has proposed dividing the project into two phases namely phase 1 - Prototype testing & minimal launch and Phase 2 - high profile launch. 

Phase 1 - Prototype test and minimal launch

The following activities need to be resolved.

1. Temperature controlled deployment capsule
2. Minimising auto spin of capsule 
3. Tracking system
4. Broadcast system
5. landing mechanism

Phase 2 - High profile launch

Media attention is currently high with these types of launch. Once proof of concept is achieve , the project team will contact the media and arrange a published event . The team will initially offer invites to international media , then national, and finally local media,  If all else fails the project team will generate interest via the web. The plan is too raise the artifactory's profile as a cool place to hangout.

Bill of Materials

The payload will comprises of the following components:

• Temperature insulated box and heat source
• Microprocessor 
• Radio transmitter
• Data recorder - typically GPS and digital camera
• Parachute 
• Radar reflector
• Source of Electrical power.

Implementation

<To Do>

Testing

<To Do>

Conclusion

<To Do>

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