1.0 mission overview - spacegrant.colorado.edu · web viewthis sample shall be grown in a lab...

Colorado Space Grant Consortium

GATEWAY TO SPACE FALL 2011

FINAL REPORT AND ANALYSIS

Pegasus MSF

Written by: Jordan Burns

Brenden HoganHemal Semwal

Cody SpikerMiranda LinkChris Dehoyos

December 3, 2011Revision D

Gateway to Space ASEN/ASTR 2500 Fall 2011

Revision Log

Revision Description DateA/B Conceptual and Preliminary Design Review 10/4/11C Critical Design Review 11/1/11D Analysis and Final Report 12/3/11

of 34 December 3, 2011Rev D


Table of Contents1.0 Mission Overview……………………………………………………………………......42.0 Requirements Flow Down………………………………………………….....................53.0 Design……………………………………………………………………………………64.0 Management……………………………………………………………………………..135.0 Budget……………………………………………………………………………………156.0 Test Plan and Results…………………………………………………………………….177.0 Expected Results………………………………………………………………………....218.0 Launch and Recovery…………………………………………………………………...219.0 Results, Analysis, and Conclusions……………………………………………………...2310.0 Ready for Flight………………………………………………………………………...2911.0 Conclusions and Lessons Learned……………………………………………………..3012.0 Message to Next Semester……………………………………………………………..30



1.0 Mission Overview

SatElysium shall test the effects of a high altitude environment upon closed containers of the bacterium Streptococcus mutans and record their response to analyze the effects of harsh radiation and temperature on bacterial reproduction and survival.

Overview:The 1967 Surveyor 3 mission that successfully went to the moon and

‘surveyed/analyzed’ the lunar terrain gave rise to a highly controversial claim. Upon the return of the Apollo 12’s payload, that of which contained the camera of Surveyor 3, and after analysis, small samples of bacteria were discovered. Since no one had had any contact with the camera for nearly two and a half years, the only explainable answer was that the bacteria had accumulated on the camera back in its production and had been sitting on the camera the entire time. But, due to the harsh conditions that these bacteria would have to endure during their stay on the camera, this option is highly unlikely. (1) To those who oppose this possibility, the only other reasonable possibility is that the bacteria had contaminated the camera somehow. Pegasus MSF would like to test this possibility by replicating the circumstances that these bacteria had to endure briefly within the window of about two hours.

The Environment:The environment that the bacteria would have had to endure would be a

conglomerate of low/high temperature swings, low level background radiation, and low pressure. By exposing several specimens of related bacteria to these conditions and analyzing their response, the final results could give insight into whether or not bacteria can survive even for a short amount of time in these conditions. After exposure, the reaction of the bacterium will give a major insight into whether or not bacteria are affected by the harsh mimicking conditions of 33,333 m.

The Bacteria:The bacteria that have been chosen for this experiment are a related batch of

bacteria known as Streptococcus mutans. The strand of bacteria found on the Surveyor 3 mission, Streptococcus mitis, has very little differences to the bacteria that Pegasus MSF will be using for the November 5th flight. Each species is gram-positive and is coccus in shape. Thus, the mitis strand found on the Surveyor 3 camera is easy to find a replacement for. Due to the unavailability of any strands of mitis, mutans had to be used as a replacement. This strand is aerobic so that means that it must be semi-resilient to harsh air conditions such as dehydration and temperature flux. For testing, mutans has the highest possibility of proving that bacteria can handle stressful conditions of a harsh environment such as “near space.” (3)

Insight:The outcome from this experiment will allow the team to have insight into

whether or not the Surveyor 3 results are accurate. Also worth knowing, certain strands of bacteria, such as Streptoccus mutans, respond to harsh changes in life threatening



environments with a response of high reproduction. Thus, if the matured cultures come back from the experimentation segment of the project and there is a detectable increase in the amount of bacterial spores, the project can accurately claim that bacteria do not favor these conditions. If the bacteria come back from the experiment stage and there is no noticeable flux in their condition, then the project can accurately claim that the conditions of high altitude flight will have no effect on the bacteria. (2)

This feedback will allow team Pegasus MSF to check the validity of the Surveyor 3 project’s results. The feedback will also check the fact that bacterial infection has a greater possibility of attacking a host through increased population reproduction at higher altitudes and near space conditions for the specific genus Streptococcus.

Hypothesis:Team Pegasus MSF believes that the bacteria shall not react adversely to the cold

and heightened amount of radiation. Bacterium is a resilient microorganism that has survived billions of years on Earth during extreme climate changes. The team believes the spore count in our base sample shall not vary from those that fly on the SatElysium.

Sources:1. “Earth Microbes on the Moon.” September 12, 2011. NASA Science. 2011.

<http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/1998 /ast01sep98_1/>.

2. “Bacteria: Space Colonists.” September 12, 2011. Panspermia.org. 2011. <http:// www.panspermia.org/bacteria-htm>.

3. Basset, Andrew. “Streptococcus mutans.” September 12, 2011. mst.edu. 2010. <http://web.mst.edu/~mirobio/BIO221_2006/S_mutans.htm>.

2.0 Requirements Flow DownTeam Pegasus MSF shall construct a BalloonSat, SatElysium, developed from the

mission statement. Adhering to these accepted requirements shall provide for a functioning satellite and guide the team throughout the design and construction process.

Level Requirement Description Origin

0

A Construct a BalloonSat that shall survive an ascent to 30 km above the surface of Earth and the following decent while maintaining complete functionality.

Mission Statement

B The weight of SatElysium shall not exceed 850 grams, nor a budget of $370.

C SatElysium shall safely transport 6 samples of streptococcus mutans during its flight, studying the effects of temperature and radiation in the stratosphere on the bacteria.

D The streptococcus mutans samples shall be recovered and analyzed post-flight.

E SatElysium shall carry a camera payload to document footage of the flight exterior of the satellite.

A.1 Build a rectangular structure that measures 21 cm in height,



1

width, and 12 cm in length out of foam core, hot glue, and aluminum tape. The structure shall contain a rod that shall attach the satellite to the flight string for the duration of the flight.

Level 0

B.1 The weights of all components shall be monitored during build and the entire satellite shall be weighed prior to launch.

B.2 Miranda Link shall maintain an updated budget and keep all team members informed of its status.

C.1 Three separate environments shall be created on board the satellite: one that is insulated and heated, one that has no heater, and one that has no heater and is expose to radiation.

C.2 Samples shall be secured to the structure of the satellite with Velcro.

C.3 Samples shall contain the bacterium streptococcus mutans.C.4 Temperature and radiation data shall be collected at 8 second

intervals by a system on boardD.1 Obtain access to a microscope that is of sufficient power to

analyze our microbes.D.2 Analyze microbes before and after flight as well as

conducting a variety of ground control tests.E.1 Appropriate space for the system in design phases as well as

structural adaptations for the camera to look out of the satellite.

E.2 Install camera on board the satellite, fit it with a connection to an external switch, and program with proper instructions

3.0 Design

Structure Design: Our satellite will be a rectangle with dimensions of 21 cm x 21 cm x 12 cm, with

a 1 cm diameter tube running through the center of our satellite, which will be attached to the flight string. The structure shall be cut from foam core and shaped using aluminum tape and hot glue. The total volume will be 5292 cm cubed. The center of gravity is at the local center of the rectangle, which will keep our samples stable and oriented vertically while the experiment takes place. To ensure stability in our satellite, we will use batteries to power all systems on board. Both will take up weight restrictions but are integral to the success of the mission.

SatElysium shall feature an upper and lower deck. The upper and lower deck shall be reinforced with trusses created from foam core to optimize the system’s stability during burst and impact. The lower deck will consist primarily of our instrumentation including microcontroller, camera, heater system, pressure sensor, HOBO (which includes the temperature sensor and humidity sensors) and a baseline bacteria sample. The bacteria sample will not be exposed to the environmental conditions surrounding the satellite, and will serve as a baseline sample for comparative use. This lower deck will consist of electronic structures, and will be insulated, keeping it safe from the environment. The lower deck will house the heating unit for the entire satellite. This hole must be sealed to the camera using tape so to not contaminate the interior chamber’s environment. The camera shall be fastened to face out a hole located on the side of the satellite. The camera will collect data every 10 seconds during the flight. The lower deck shall measure 9 cm high, to allow greater room in the experimental deck. Hot glue shall



be used to attach all systems to the foam core structure. All petri dishes will be secured to the foam core structure using Velcro strips and hot glue.

The upper deck shall measure 12 cm high and contain two split petri dishes, a stepper motor, a temperature and humidity sensor, and visible light radiation sensor, and Styrofoam for internal insulation. The upper deck shall be separated into two isolated chambers by a foam core wall, allowing us to create two different testing environments.

Experiment Design: There will be three experiments carried on board SatElysium, including the

control sample located in the lower deck. Each environment will contain two bacterium samples housed in split petri dishes, for a total of six experiments. Two of the bacterium samples will serve as the control and will remain in the protected environment of the electronics section, which will be the bottom half of our rectangle satellite. Two others will be exposed to the outside environment of 30 km above Earth’s surface. This section of the upper deck shall contain a visible light sensor to measure the exposure to light radiation within this atmosphere. The light will enter the satellite through a four centimeter diameter hole, and will be located towards the top of our satellite. This hole will be positioned using a solar position calculator to optimize the angle of exposure of the bacterium sample. These petri dishes will also be tilted within the structure to maximize the amount of exposure to light radiation. The component door will open and close using a stepper motor that will close a circular hatch; the circular hatch will stop on a metal pin, to ensure complete closure of the port, located near the entrance of the hole. We want to ensure that the light collected, and the environment tested in, will be at maximum flight height. Therefore, the door will be programmed to open after 70 minutes of flight time, and will close after a certain time, which will be programmed beforehand using previous flight times.

The last two samples will be exposed to an environment where temperature is monitored by a sensor. This environment shall contain no heater, but will be insulated from exterior radiation. The HOBO’s exterior temperature sensor shall be used to monitor the temperature of this chamber, because due to its lack of insulation, the temperature of the exterior environment is going to be equal to the interior. To minimize radiation pollution in the quarantined environment, there shall be no hole in this section of the upper deck. Data from the temperature sensor shall be routed to the Arduino microcontroller to be retrieved after launch.

The six samples of streptococcus mutans present on the satellite shall be compared with a sample kept here on Earth as a control. This sample shall be grown in a lab environment of 25 degrees Celsius and 1 atm pressure, with minimal exposure to radiation.

Sample Number Environment Location Isolated Variable1,2 Insulated and heated Lower deck None (control

sample)3,4 No heat or insulation, Upper deck chamber 1 Temperature



temperature will be equal to exterior environment.

5,6 Heated and insulated, hole on structure to allow light radiation to reach sample

Upper deck chamber 2 Visible light radiation

Data Collection An Arduino microcontroller shall be used to log data from all systems during the

flight. The temperature and humidity and light radiation sensors from the upper deck shall be routed to the microcontroller located in the lower deck. The USB outlet located on the Arduino Uno shall allow data to be removed from the microcontroller for analysis. The pressure sensor in the lower deck shall serve simply as a data collection medium, and will be essential to characterize the environment that the bacteria are in (see experimental design), as well as plot altitude of SatElysium as a function of flight time. Each sensor on board SatElysium shall be programmed collect data once every sixty seconds during the flight. Images taken by the camera will be stored on the local 2GB memory unit.

In addition we shall also use a Hobo data unit that will be provided to us. It shall collect data about internal and external temperature, as well as internal humidity. This data can be accessed through software provided to us. The Hobo unit will be located on the lower half of the satellite.

Collection of data on bacterium will be through a microscope. Comparisons shall be made between the rate of growth of those samples kept on Earth, those in the insulated, heated control environment in the satellite’s lower deck, and the two experimental samples in the upper deck. The microscope shall be used to determine the multiplication of cell cultures during the flight, compared to their normal growth rate. We will be looking for colony count as well as colony density, as an indicator of bacterial growth and reproduction. The samples that are currently being cultured exhibit a creamy white color, smattered around the petri dish. We will compare the before and after bacterial samples, and depending on the density of the colonies, we hope to conclude if visible light or temperature at a high earth altitude had any effect on the bacteria growth or reproduction.

Parts list- see section 5.0




21 cm

21 cmSwitches (4)

Digital Camera

Flight rod (1 cm diameter)

19 cm


How we shall meet design requirements:


Petri dish (10 cm diameter)

Batteries (3)

Stepper Motor (2.2 cm diameter)

Visible light and pressure sensor


a. We shall meet this requirement by planning it into our design and putting it into the satellite when built. The tube shall be provided and we shall construct a stopper with a carter pin made from a paper clip.

4. Internal temperature of the BalloonSat shall remain above -10˚C during the flight.

a. We shall meet this requirement by constructing a heater at a team meeting. The parts shall be provided however we shall be required to construct them.

5. Total weight shall not exceed 850 grams.a. We shall meet this requirement by checking our weight periodically

and making sure it lines up with predictions made earlier in the design process. If we exceed weight we shall stage a meeting in order to determine how this requirement shall be met.

6. Each team shall acquire (not necessarily measure) ascent and descent rates of the flight string.

a. We shall meet this requirement by receiving data on the accent and descent rates from Chris Koehler. In addition we shall attempt to determine these rates through careful analysis and calculation of data collected by our pressure sensor.

7. Design shall allow for a HOBO H08-004-02 (provided) a. 68x48x19 mm and 30 gramsb. We shall meet this requirement by planning its inclusion into the final

design and in renderings, sketches, design requirements and construction.8. Design shall allow for external temperature cable (provided)

a. We shall meet this requirement by planning its inclusion into the final design and in renderings, sketches, design requirements and construction.

9. Design shall allow for a Canon A570IS Digital Camera (provided) 45x75x90mm and 220 grams (with 2 AA Lithium batteries) or an Canon SD780 IS 18x55x88mm and 130 grams.


10. Design shall allow for an active heater system weighing 100 grams with batteries and id 10x50x50mm (provided). Dimensions do not include 2 x 9 volt batteries.


11. BalloonSat shall be made of foam core (provided).a. We shall meet this requirement by being provided the foam core

necessary for construction. Then we shall plan for it in design stages and include it in the balloon satellite.

12. Parts list and budget shall include spare parts.



a. We shall meet this requirement by analyzing our parts list and budget and budgeting for multiple repairs on the sensors and structure. We anticipate one sensor and motor as our project progresses.

13. All BalloonSats shall have contact information written on the outside along with a US Flag (provided).

a. We shall meet this requirement by affixing a US Flag that shall be provided to us to the satellite. In addition we shall also affix our contact information to the satellite. This information shall be our team name and Chris Koehler’s name and number.

14. Proposal, design, and other documentation units shall be in metric.a. We shall meet this requirement by taking most measurements in metric

units and for any units that aren’t converting them.15. Launch is in November 5, 2011. Time and location: 6:50 AM in Windsor, CO.

Launch schedule will be given later. Everyone is expected to show up for launch. Only one team member is required to participate on the recovery. Launch and recovery should be completed by 3:00 PM.

a. We shall meet this requirement by calling each member of the team 30 minutes prior to 4:45am and if they fail to respond going to their residence except in the case of Miranda who lives off campus. We shall ensure she is at the launch through the use of alarm clocks.

16. No one shall get hurt.a. We shall meet this requirement through the use of a safety officer. This

person shall be responsible for making sure all tools, materials, and components are handled correctly. They shall also serve as the voice of reason during the entirety of the class. This person shall be Jordan Burns.

17. All hardware is the property of the Gateway to Space program and must be returned in working order end of the semester

a. We shall meet this requirement by giving back all of the hardware and ensuring that it is in working order before we do. If something cannot be repaired we shall discuss it with Chris Koehler and if he chooses procure additional parts to replace the non-operational ones.

18. All parts shall be ordered and paid by Chris Koehler’s CU Visa by appointment to minimize reimbursement paperwork. All teams shall keep detailed budgets on every purchase and receipts shall be turned in within 48 hours of purchase with team name written on the receipt along with a copy of the Gateway order form (HW 04).

a. We shall meet this requirement by keeping all receipts organized and on record. We shall also ensure that the purchases go through Chris Koehler’s CU visa.



19. All purchases made by team individuals shall have receipts and must be submitted within 60 days of purchase or reimbursement will be subject to income taxes.

a. We shall meet this requirement by requiring all team members to turn in receipts that shall be sent to Chris within 10 days of the purchase.

20. Have fun and be creative.a. We shall meet this requirement by assigning a lead fun manager. This

person shall be responsible for making sure that creativity and fun are abundant. This person shall be Hemal Semwal.

21. Absolutely nothing alive will be permitted as payloads, with the exception of yellow jackets, mosquitoes, fire ants, earwigs, roaches, or anything you would squish if you found it in your bed.

a. We shall meet this requirement by not sending up any unapproved life forms.

22. Completion of final report (extra credit if team video is included) a. We shall meet this requirement by having a variety of team meetings

after the flight to concatenate our data, analyze it, and put it into a final report.

23. All BalloonSats shall have visual indicators on the outside of the flight structure to confirm at launch that the payload is active and running.

a. We shall meet this requirement by the use of switches that shall indicate the status of the payload. When the switch is in the off position the system it is labeled as shall be off and when it is in the on position so shall the system it is labeled as.

4.0 ManagementThe goal of Pegasus MSF is to work collectively as a team to produce SatElysium.

While every team member has a designated focus area, our work will largely overlap. Jordan Burns will act as team leader, organizing the meetings and schedule. She will also work under Hemal Semwal, aiding in the construction of SatElysium, specifically in developing the thermal subsystem of insulation and temperature control. Hemal Semwal will be the construction manager. Miranda Link will handle the budget, keeping track of all incoming and outgoing funds. Brenden Hogan will apply his expertise in circuits and programming to his position as Lead Electrical Engineer. He will be responsible for linking all of the technology within our satellite to the data storage system, as well as to each other. Brenden will work with Hemal and Jordan to make sure our construction process optimizes the ability to connect all necessary technology to each other. Cody Spiker will be responsible for helping with the construction, but he will also act as Science Manager. Cody will handle carrying out the controls that make our experiment valid, and linking our science mission to the constructed satellite. Lastly, Chris Dehoyos will be responsible for tests carried out on SatElysium. Chris will also be responsible for taking video footage of everything we do this semester for our extra credit video.



Schedule All team meeting shall be held on Sundays and Thursdays at 5 p.m. unless

otherwise noted. Scheduled build sessions will be held on: 10/3,10/6, 10/8, 10/10, 10/13, 10/16,

10/17, 10/20, and 10/23 Time limitations: from the date of hardware pickup to launch, the team has about

four weeks to construct prototypes, conduct testing, grow bacteria, and prepare BalloonSat for successful flight. The bacteria must be grown at least two days prior to flight, after the agar has set for a day. Construction shall take a week, therefore the team’s goal is work efficiently to stay ahead of schedule, in order to give us breathing room within such strict time limitations.


Jordan Burns Project Manager-thermal engineer

9118 Andrews Hall, Boulder, CO 80130

(719) [email protected]

Brenden Hogan -Lead Electrical Engineer

-responsible for circuits and mechanisms

9026 Crosman HallBoulder, CO 80310


Cody Spiker-Science Manager

-responsible for all control tests on the bacteria and the growth of bacteria cultures pre-launch9023 Crosman Hall, Boulder,

CO 80310(970) 589-5689

[email protected] Semwal-Lead Structural Engineer

-responsible for overseeing the construction of the satellite9038 AdenHall, Boulder, CO

80309(719)-339-7570

[email protected]

Miranda Link-Design and Budget

Management 590 Merlin St., Lafayette, CO

80026(970) 372-8873

[email protected]

Christopher Dehoyos-Video Director and Testing

Manager-oversee extra credit video

9130 Darley North Hall,Boulder, CO 80310



9/9/11 First team meeting 10/16/11 Team meeting – DD rev C and LRR presentations

9/12/11 Divide tasks and submit individual sections by 9/13/11

10/16/11 Construction of final BalloonSat

9/14/11 Team meeting/Take ITLL tour 10/18/11 Continue Construction /Incubation9/15/11 Finalize Proposal 10/20/11 Continue Construction/Incubation9/16/11 Submit Proposal 10/23/11 Satellite completion9/19/11 Team meeting for Design Presentation 10/24/11 Continue Incubation9/20/11 Conceptual Design Review Presentation 10/25/11 Pre-Launch Inspection9/22/11 Team meeting to decide parts order forms 10/26/11 Vacuum and Cooler tests9/27/11 Order satellite hardware 10/26/11 Team meeting - DD rev C and LRR9/27/11 Team meeting 10/27/11 In class mission simulation9/30/11 Team meeting-CDR and DD revA/B 10/31/11 Submit DD rev C and LLR presentations10/2/11 Team meeting-CDR and DD revA/B 11/01/11 Launch readiness review10/3/11 Submit CDR and DD revA/B 11/03/11 Team Meeting – Begin rev D10/4/11 Team meeting HW05 11/04/11 Final BalloonSat weigh in and turn in9/28-10/7 Build prototypes. Grow first set of

bacteria for ground control11/05/11 Launch and recovery

10/10/11 Submit HW05 11/06/11 Meet to review data, rev D, HW0810/7/11 Complete drop and whip tests 11/07/11 Team meeting – rev D10/8/11 Program Arduino during team meeting 11/14/11 Team meeting – review final report10/8/11 Drop and Whip test prototype 11/21/11 Team meeting – complete final report10/9/11 Team meeting 11/29/11 Final team presentations and report10/13/11 Design modifications if necessary 12/03/11 Design Expo, turn in rev D and team

videos10/10/11 Team meeting – DD rev C 12/06/11 Turn in hardware

5.0 Budget

Miranda Link shall maintain physical copies of all receipts and giving team Pegasus MSF a budget update every meeting. The total mass and total cost of SatElysium can be found at the bottom of the following table.

ITEM SUPPLIER PRICE WEIGHT (g)

PART # PRICE

US flag Gateway Class Provided to us 1 g - $0Solder Gateway Class Provided to us 1 g - $0

Foam Core Structure Gateway Class Provided to us 156 g

-$0

Velcro Gateway Class Provided to us 6g - $0Hobo Data Logger Gateway Class Provided to us 30 g - $0

Digital Camera Gateway Class Provided to us 130 g - $0Heating system Gateway Class Provided to us 80 g - $0Aluminum Tape Gateway Class Provided to us 5 g - $0

9 volt battery (4) Gateway Class Provided to us188g47/ea

-$0



Flight tube and Washers Gateway Class Provided to us

10g -$0

Arduino Uno SparkFun Electronics $29.95Paid by Gateway 40 g DEV-09950 $29.95

Mini Photocells Sparkfun $4.50 + $15 S&H

Paid by Gateway2 g SEN-09088 $19.50

Pressure Sensor SparkFun Electronics$15.96 +$2 S&H

Paid by Gateway4 g SEN-09694 $17.96

Humidity & Temp. Sensor

SparkFun Electronics $9.95 + $2 S&H 5 g SEN-10167 $11.95

MicroSD shield Sparkfun $17.56 20g DEV-09802 $17.56

Temperature Sensor Sparkfun $3.54Paid By Gateway

2 SEN-09438 $3.54

Styrofoam(didn’t use)

McGuckinHardware $3.24

14460510$3.24

Ardumoto, Stackable heater, screw terminals

Sparkfun $34.74 100 DEV-09815, PRT-09280, PRT-08084

$34.74

Live Strand of Streptococcus

mutans

Ward Science $9.95 + $7.80S&H

Paid by Gateway

1g 851036 $17.75

AGAR Scientific Strategies$40.80 +

$22.17S&HPaid by Gateway

F06-101-500gm $62.97

Stepper Motor (3)

Door

Anaheim Automation $14.38

Paid by Gateway

50 g

1g

TSM20-180-10-5V-

050A-LW4

$43.14

Petri Dish (20)Carolina Biological Supply Company

$8.50 +$17.95 S&H

Paid by Gateway

135 g

45/ea

714330 $27.22

Dry Ice/Cooler Safeway $24.45 - $24.45

Blades McGuckins $2.43 6522710 $2.43

Gluesticks/JB weld McGuckins $5.869000001/9402595 $5.86

Predicted Cost: $370 Total Gateway Money = $250.22 Total Group = $88.28 ($31.50 under budget)

Proposed Weight: 850 g Total Weight = 1005 g



To address the 155 extra grams over the 850 in the mass budget, a written contract was create so that we receive 35 grams from Team 1, 30 grams from Team 5, 50 grams from Team 7, and 40 grams from Team 9.

6.0 Test Plan and ResultsTeam Pegasus MSF will test SatElysium and the technical components of Pegasus

to make sure that all the parts and scientific test material will both be able to launch and to be recovered in working condition. Our testing occurred in two separate phases. All structural tests will use mass simulations made out of rocks and cardboard to avoid damaging hardware.

The first round of testing took place October 7 and consisted of:

Drop Test and Roll Test:Procedure: The drop test shall consisted of us taking our satellite and 1) rolling it down a long flight of stairs, and then 2) dropping it vertically from a height of about 15 meters. The purpose of this test is to show that the spacecraft will survive two conditions of landing; a long, drug-out, bouncy landing, or a flat vertical impact straight into the ground. In each of these trials, the spacecraft was subjected to various orientations to ensure that an impact on virtually any surface will not compromise the results of our experiment.

Result: Our drop test revealed that we needed to be more precise when constructing our actual satellite. This is because when analyzed after the drop test, our satellite revealed that poor cutting lead to walls breaking open at the hinges. This also ties into the results that we found from out whip test because we found out that almost all of our walls were very weak because of the lowered strength of the walls due to the great surface area that they had. Our fix for this was to make sure that we had clean cuts along the corners of our satellite, as well as separate bases for the shelves that would give extra strength.

Our roll test revealed to us that when we implemented the walls into our structure, we didn’t think about the forces that would be exerted on them. In our structure, we always planned to have three sections in the satellite. To secure them, we made small incisions in the walls of the satellite. Doing this dramatically weakened the walls, and in the roll test, the rocks rolled around enough to completely break the walls of the satellite along where the divider walls were set. Our fix for these weak walls were new, separate pieces with pre-cut slots in them for the shelves. We then glued these base strips onto the walls of the satellite to improve the integrity of the walls. This new structure was re-tested through a second drop and roll test, with no damage to corners or walls during impact.

Whip Test:



Procedure: The whip test consisted of us taking our satellite and stringing it in the way that it will be tethered to the rest of the satellites on launch day. We then swung the satellite by the tether in circles a various speeds and directions. This test is designed to tell us not only if we need to improve the way our satellite is attached to the tether, but also if our structure can withstand the forces of changing momentum due to the “burst” environment and being whipped around at high speeds because of the tether. During this test, Chris took the SatElysium structure complete with mass simulations made from Styrofoam, attached to 1 meter of rope to a “safe-designated” area, and then subjected the spacecraft to excessive amounts of centripetal force by swinging it around in a circle at speeds excess of 30 mph.

Result: Our whip test was very instrumental in pointing out key flaws in our satellites design. Because we had such wide walls, this meant that there was less structural support towards the middle of each wall, and during our whip test, the wall actually cracked straight down the middle. This happened because we did not use the flight tube during the tests. To fix this, we simply included a base to the wall where the flight tube intersects the wall, added the flight tube and washers and, in our newer design, the wall is smaller (because of weight problems) meaning it has more structural integrity and will easily survive.

The second set of tests occurred after we had all of our materials gathered and ready to perform the necessary experiments. The Cooler test was the last test that we conducted, as we need the entire completed SatElysium ready to run a full-time data collection trial with all components of the working spacecraft in order. The software/hardware testing occurred repeatedly throughout our entire building process in order to adjust and calibrate various components.

Incubation Test:Procedure: The incubation tests shall consist of us setting out control groups of our bacteria specimens to see how the bacteria will reproduce in a normal, controlled environment. We will accomplish this by setting up a variety of specimens in an environment where we have complete control over humidity, temperature, light exposure and maturity. We will then analyze the data and store it as control information. This will give us a benchmark to what the bacteria will do in a normal environment so that we will have something to compare to the data that we collect post-flight. The actual flight cultures that will be used as the test samples will be sent up slightly immature in order to optimize the window in which the cultures will be more susceptible to difference in conditions and will show its reaction.

Result: See section 7.0 Expected Results.

Cooler Test:



Procedure: The cooler test consisted of taking our satellite and placing it into a 15 gallon cooler with 5 pounds of dry ice for the period of a full flight (≈135 minutes or so) while running the experiment as we would on launch day. This included us running our camera, heaters, micro-controller, and data logger to make sure that everything can withstand the extremely cold environment that we are sending the satellite into. We also used an extra temperature sensor at this time to record the temperatures of the isolated compartments on the top of SatElysium to make sure that heat is not leaking out that could compromise the results of our experiment.

Result: Our two cooler test ran for full flight duration, and ran of all of our components simultaneously. In our test, it was observed through our temperature readings that all of our electrical components stayed well above a temperature that would have hindered their performance, so we full called this test a success. We re-tested our HOBO separately because it was programmed incorrectly during both cooler tests to output voltage readings instead of the External Temperature. Once the HOBO was re-tested, it output the external temperature perfectly. Because this HOBO test had to be redone, we made sure with Chris Koehler that once we had reprogrammed the HOBO that we didn’t have to do it again because we tested it in the snow, outside, and room temperature, and determined it worked properly.

Software/Hardware Testing:Procedure: The software and hardware tests of our spacecraft entailed of running consistency tests on all of the electrical components of our system. We took multimeters to our circuits and making sure that everything was wired and running properly and that we have maximized the way that we are running current. In addition to making sure that our circuits run correctly, we will be running full length tests with our camera system before it is even implemented into the BalloonSat. This is to make sure that it is taking pictures at 10 second intervals. These tests will be recurring because they have to be calibrated at regular intervals to make sure that the data that we record will be current and precise.

Result: Camera Test- Our camera test was the easiest to do, because everything was pre-programmed by Chris and his staff. Although we had problems with our switch, we got it fixed by installing a new switch into the trigger mechanism of the camera. It ran for the full flight duration with no issue.Arduino / Motor Testing- Our arduino and motor sensors took quite a fair amount of programming and reprogramming because of trial and error. We also had to pin-point when we want the motor to open and close, at 30 minutes and 80 minutes into flight, respectively. The temperature, pressure, and light readings required programming through the Arduino Uno. Each sensor was run at room temperature to attain accurate calibration readings, as well as ran for flight duration during our cooler test with no issue. Data was then stored on the MicroSD shield, then removed and recorded on graphs.


Open Door Closed Door

Closed Door

Open Door


SafetyIn order to ensure the safety of the Pegasus MSF team, the BalloonSat will be constructed and tested with predetermined precautions. All team members will wear gloves and goggles whenever dealing with materials whose temperatures are above or below a normal room temperature range, such as during the cold test or using hot glue. At all times at least two members must be present during lab work at all times to ensure emergency protocol safety. When power tools are used, each team member must know how to use the tool prior to use, or have help from someone else. In addition, tests that require a copious amount of room, such as the whip test, will be conducted outside, in order to avoid damaging walls and providing enough space that team members have a


Photocell reading

Time (s)

Average: 13No Light: 0Absolute Light: 1024

Time (s) Time (s)

Pascal

Temp (*C) Average: 33.5 degrees Celsius

Average: 83788.67 Pascals


safe environment to work. And of course, no team member will handle bacteria cultures directly. So, bacteria cultures will always be handled indirectly from the exterior of the petri dish. After the flight of SatElysium, bacteria samples will be safely disposed of in the BioServe laboratory.

7.0 Expected ResultsThrough the use of incubations tests as our controls, the

desirable conditions that will be used as a basis for comparison have been gathered. Through the growth of the master culture, culture dishes A-E, we observed the desired results for what a healthy growth of this bacterium should look like. Colonies A and B both represented the conditions of an average/below average growth of these bacteria. The growth followed the contamination streaks without any real expansion. The colonies were each very small, approximately less than a millimeter wide, and had the appearance of being slightly white and translucent. Overall, after three days of growth, these cultures overall showed mediocre growth. Culture C was left for an additional four days of growth to double check that the full growth of these cultures at 37C is truly after three days of maturing. Cultures D and E both showed the overall best growth where the bacteria was able to expand from the contamination streaking and they were also able to produce the largest colonies. These results are going to be used as the backing for what at completely healthy culture should look like. In order to obtain the best results, the flight bacteria will be flown slightly immature in order to open a larger window for response from the bacteria. Being slightly immature, the bacteria will be more responsive towards changes in environment and thus will show more drastic results.

After flight, the bacteria samples shall be reintroduce to the incubation environment for 48 hours, to all the samples to completely mature. As stated previously, the bacteria are mature after approximately 4 to 5 days growth. After this 48 hour incubation period, the samples shall be analyzed for dead cultures, and be compared to the successful growths that our ground control experienced.

We expect to find that the bacteria will be resilient enough to survive in the harsh environment. Since our satellite will have three separate environments for testing, there is a real chance of seeing a change between each environment. However, since anaerobic bacteria are very hardy, they will likely show no response to exposure to these harsh environments. In other words, observing no change in the bacteria during our mission is considered a successful mission for SatElysium, for we can conclude that bacteria do indeed survive harsh conditions.

8.0 Launch and Recovery

November 6, 2011, Launch Day Logistics: Prior to launch:

1. Transport petri dishes from lab space to launch site in insulated, heated bags.2. Seal petri dishes with glue seal.3. Secure petri dishes inside satellite.4. Seal satellite door with glue and aluminum tape



5. Flip switches before launch (microcontroller, camera, and heater)6. Brenden Hogan shall launch SatElysium

Launch: 1. Brenden Hogan shall launch SatElysium. 2. Chris Dehoyos shall photograph launch.

Post launch: 1. Jordan Burns is responsible for retrieving SatElysium2. Once retrieved, the door of the satellite shall be opened and the bacteria samples

shall be removed. 3. The bacteria samples shall be transferred directly into a heated, insulated bag for

transport back to the lab at CU.4. The bacteria samples shall be place in the incubator immediately upon return to

CU, and shall be allowed to grow for 2 more days.Data Retrieval

1. The micro-SD card shall be removed from the satellite, and input into the team laptop. This drive contains flight data from the on board pressure, temperature, and visible light radiation detector. All data shall be removed from the SD card, and copied into Excel, and charted. We shall record temperature, pressure, and radiation as a function of flight time, and determine the maximum and minimum values each sensor recorded during flight to understand the environment the bacteria was exposed to.

2. The HOBO shall be input into the team laptop, and the external and internal temperature and humidity during flight shall be graphed versus time. We will compare this to the data our other on board sensors received.

3. After the 2 day incubation period, the bacteria cultures shall be analyzed. The growth of each flight sample shall be inspected for alterations compared to the ground samples that were grown in our controlled lab environment. If an increase or decrease in colony size, change in color, or shape is observed, compared to the characteristics of the control sample at 4 days’ time, it can be concluded what factors affected their growth. After, the samples shall be disposed of in the BioServe’s bio-waste disposal bin.

Our date retrieval methods have all been tested. The graphs in section 6.0, and photos in section 7.0 show that we are capable of retrieving meaningful data off of our micro-SD card, and that our ground control bacteria samples have been fully grown properly.

Account of Launch Day and Recovery:

Launch was delayed one day to Sunday, November 6, due to inclement weather conditions. Team Pegasus MSF arrived at the launch site in Windsor, Colorado at 5:50 a.m. SatElysium was sealed that morning, containing its six bacteria samples. Launch of the Gateway to Space class’s payloads occurred at 6:50 a.m., with SatElysium second to the bottom of the flight string. After the launch, the team drove I-25 to I-80 through Wyoming to Potter, Nebraska, to retrieve the BalloonSat at 41.24162ºW and -



103.29476ºN around 10:30 a.m. Burst occurred on the Colorado-Nebraska border at an altitude of 22,165 meters at 40.98107ºW and -103.95479º.

Upon recovery, SatElysium was initially photographed and inspected onsite. It appeared to have performed well during the flight; no structural damage was apparent besides a minor puncture wound to the side wall from landing on a rock. The motorized door was also found to be intact. Once the BalloonSat was opened, it was found that a wire connecting the power source to the heater had become dislodged. The petri dishes were found intact, and moved to the incubator upon return to CU.

9.0 Results, Analysis, and ConclusionsAfter the flight, the team continued to record the growth of the bacteria cultures in

the incubation chamber. We also analyzed the data recorded by the on board temperature, pressure, and light sensors in order to establish what conditions the samples were exposed to during flight. In accordance with our hypothesis, the results of the flight of SatElysium show that Streptococcus mutans is able to survive in an environment of extreme temperature and light radiation. Thus, the results of the Surveyor III mission, the inspiration for Team Pegasus MSF’s project, are entirely possible. Bacteria could have very well survived a space flight, judging from how our samples perform in a comparable environment. Despite minor hardware failures, we were still able to draw these conclusions about our experiment, due to data collected by back up sensors on board, as well as collaborating with Team 3 to receive external temperature data. Overall, SatElysium can be considered a success, for we were able to show that growth rates in a specific bacterium species are unaffected by exposure to extreme environments. Below is the in-depth analysis of our biological experiment and the data from on board sensors.

9.1 Experiment Analysis

After flight, the three samples were allowed to be introduced to a stable environment in order to isolate the exposure from the flight. This reintroduction to the chamber elapsed approximately forty-eight hours following the flight. After this period, the reaction to the flight exposure was recorded.

Dish three labeled as Dish RF 3 was the fully exposed dish to all the elements of the flight. Upon inspection, there were acute signs of dehydration as the colonies reacted by forming semi-circular shapes. Also new, a newly produced odor came from the dish indicating slight colony burst. Overall though, most of the colonies retained their tan hue and no presence of white colonies was detected, which would have signified cellular death. Dish two labeled as Dish RF 2 was the dish that was housed in the bottom compartment of SatElysium, isolated from radiation and partial temperature flux during the flight (see 9.3 failure analysis). After analysis of the colonies, it was evident that smooth growth across a large percent of the agar did occur. The colonies continued to exist but slight amount of hesitated expansionary growth were evident. Thus, there was some minor deceleration of the growth but overall there were healthy colonies present.



The final dish labeled as Dish RF 1 was the dish that wasn’t insulated but kept safely stashed away from the radioactive light. There were evident signs of defensive circular colony structure and signs of dehydration. There wasn’t any expansionary growth. All colonies within Dish RF 1 appear to relate to Dish RF 3 in color, size, and shape.

Overall, these colonies all carried the traits to further contamination, meaning the conditions of the extreme environment did not inhibit the bacteria’s ability to grow. Thus, all dishes survived the flight. There were some isolated culture death in very minute areas of the petri dishes, but overall these cultures could be expected to live the full life duration of three weeks which is the behavior of a healthy colony of Streptococcus mutans.

Also worth noting, the ground cultures that did not fly, intended for backup, showed exactly the same results as the flight cultures, indicating very slight change from the flight exposure. The only minute difference was the slight dehydration of the dishers, changing the expansion growth pattern of the bacteria. In optimal conditions, the bacteria form finger-like projections outward from the origin point of the contamination. But, to defend against the extreme cold and light radiation, the bacteria formed small defensive colonies within these finger-like expansions. This similarity between the growth of our ground control and the dishes that were flown in SatElysium mirror our hypothesis that extreme environmental conditions would not affect the growth. Following this, a conclusion can be validated from the results of Dish EC 1 from the first batch of incubated cultures.

After an incubation period from 10/24/11 to 11/8/11, the dish’s colonies were entirely expired and showed massive dehydration and pure white colonies that had ceased growth all together. As previously stated, healthy colonies of Streptococcus mutans have a life expectation of three weeks, a trait that our colonies showed. After final analysis, all dishes were disposed of in the BioServe laboratory biological materials disposal bins.


Dish E: ground control. White growth shows colony death. Dish RF 1: defensive circular growth


9.2 Data Analysis

Internal Temperature: Sensor 1

0 600 1200 1800 2400 3000 3600 4200 4800 5400 6000 6600

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

Tempin

Tempin

This graph is the temperature data from the sensor in our electronics bay. We can see that the temperature initially increases when the heater is turned on. Then as it goes to 40,000ft, temperature decreases through the troposphere and tropopause then as it gets to the stratosphere the temperature increases to -6.2C at burst around 4320 seconds. Then at burst the heater breaks (see 9.3 failure analysis) because a solder connection comes undone. The temperature then decreases to an absolute minimum of -31.5C through the troposphere and tropopause and increases on the rest of the way back down. This was all as expected with the knowledge of the heater failure.

Internal Temperature: Sensor 2

The data of the temperature in the heated bacteria compartment was useless, as we discovered the sensor did not operate below 0 degrees Celsius. However, because there was a second temperature sensor (see above), the team was able to determine the internal environment of the satellite during the flight. This can be assumed to be the temperature


Launch

Door Open

Burst

Door Close

Landing

Dish RF 2: smooth, healthy growth Dish RF 3: smooth growth with minor defensive circular growth

ºC


in the heated experiment compartment as this sensor was intended only as a check of that assumption. We still considered it a failure however and analyzed it as one.

External Temperature-HOBO

Due to the HOBO’s failure during flight, external temperature of the environment surrounding the satellite during flight was determined using Team 3, R3D3’s HOBO data (see section 9.3 for failure analysis). From analyzing the graph we can determine that the extreme maximum and minimum temperature during flight were 23ºC and -62.25ºC, respectively. This was as expected reaching minimum temperatures in the tropopause. We also experienced a local max between the two minimums indicating maximum altitude as expected.

This confirmed that our insulation was effective as our minimum temperature was -31.5C (with the heater disabled on decent) when the external temperature was -55.6C. With our heater though, we were able to maintain an average of -10.1C when the external temperature was -62.25C. We suspect the maximum temperature that was recorded by the HOBO was when it entered the team’s car and was still active. This fits with the retrieval time of 10:30am.


Launch

Burst

Landing

Retrieval


Pressure

0 660 1320 1980 2640 3300 3960 4620 5280 5940 66000

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

Pressure

Pressure

The pressure decreases as the balloon rises and reaches an absolute minimum at 4320 seconds with a pressure of 3967 Pascals. SatElysium then descends the pressure rapidly increases until it reaches ground level. This exactly matched expected results and gave us a clear idea of the pressures experienced by our bacteria. This proved that we did decrease in pressure and experienced pressures close to space conditions.

Light


Launch

Door Open

Burst

Door Close

Landing

Pascals

The wire came separated from the solder point beneath the plastic covering


0 600 1200 1800 2400 3000 3600 4200 4800 5400 6000 66000

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Light

Light

What we can see in this graph is a lot of jumps because our door did not seal properly we can see light generally increases because the sun rises higher as our satellite ascends. However, we can clearly see that at 1800 seconds (as planned) to 4320 seconds (not planned) the door is open. It appears that the door was pushed closed at 4320 seconds instead of the planned 4800 seconds then experiences random jolts from burst and descent. 4320 seconds is approximately burst and this explains why we see the door close prematurely. This is not what we expected; burst was expected to occur quite a bit later. In addition we expected to see little to no light except when the door was open. The door jolts to a new position on almost every reading but we were able to see a clear period when it was fully open.

9.3 Failure Analysis

SatElysium experienced three failures during the flight- an unusable temperature sensor, a broken solder joint in the heater system, and a HOBO malfunction.

Temperature sensor: SEN-09438 The temperature sensor present in the upper deck of SatElysium recorded meaningless data

during flight, giving us temperature readings that were either 1C or 0C throughout the flight. It was clear to us that the temperature sensor data was incorrect. During the assessment of this failure, we reconsidered the data sheet for the temperature sensor. The origin of the problem was discovered to be that the functional parameters of the sensor were such that it only gave data between 0 and 100 ºC. In context of the flight, the temperature was below these parameters; therefore the sensor was unable to gather meaningful data. The failure of the temperature sensor could have been avoided if we had bought a different model of the sensor, but it did not affect the success of our flight because we had a second temperature sensor on board that did accurately capture data.

Heater:Upon retrieving that satellite, it was found that the wire

connecting the negative lead of the battery connector, to the heater board came disconnected from the solder joint. We tested the heater


Launch

Door Open Burst

Door Close

LandingLight

intensity


multiple times before flight during full duration tests, and never experience a failure. From analyzing the internal temperature readings, it was clear that the force acting up the satellite at burst caused this wire to come loose. The wire was dislodged from one of the prefabricated solder points on the battery connector (see photo). To address this problem, while readying the satellite to fly again, the wire was re-soldered into place, and the heater system was tested multiple times, performing flawlessly. All other solder connections were checked for stability.

HOBOThe HOBO malfunction during two of our cold tests due to the fact that we had the

external temperature sensor attached to the incorrect port. The team fixed this error, and retested the HOBO. We were able to receive meaningful data and assumed the problem was corrected. During this retest, we also tested the delayed start function on the HOBO, which was also determined to be working properly.

The launch delay was set for 6:50 a.m. at SpaceGrant during turn-in the day before flight. The light on the outside of the HOBO was blinking, and it appeared to be set correctly. However, upon connecting the HOBO to the Boxcar program after flight, this was the data we received from flight:

Clearly no data was logged on the HOBO during flight. While analyzing this failure, we had to first decide what had caused the issue. From the lower axis of the plot, it is clear that the delay function did work properly, because the graph begins at 6:50 a.m., the time the delay was programmed to activate the HOBO. Next, we looked at the external connections. If the external temperature sensor was connected to the wrong port, the HOBO still would have logged internal temperature data, so that was ruled out as this issue. When resetting the HOBO delay and running a ground test on it post flight, the HOBO worked flawlessly, recording both internal and external temperature after the delay activated. We were able to prove that the HOBO is functional. Ultimately, the team ruled that the problem must have occurred when ejecting the HOBO from the computer without using a safe ejection shut down.

10.0 Ready for FlightIn order to ready SatElysium for flight once more, the team addressed all of the



failures stated above, as well as fixed minor dents in the structure. The hole in the structure from impact with the ground was patched with hot glue and aluminum tape. All hardware was once again secured with Velcro to the structure, and the flight code was loaded onto the microSD card. The HOBO was tested (see above photo), with the delay setting activated, to ensure it was properly function for the next flight. The useless temperature sensor was removed from the structure, and the wires were electrical taped for safety. The loose heater wire was re-soldered properly and all other solder connections were all inspected to verify that this failure will not be repeated in the future.

To activate SatElysium for flight, simply flip the three switches on the outside of the structure, labeled microcontroller, heater, and camera. This will activate the flight code that runs the sensors and motorized door during flight. Bacteria samples for the next flight must be grown approximately 3 days prior to flight, so that the cultures have time to grow, but they are still premature enough to analyze their growth patterns. The agar must set before the dishes can be contaminated with streptococcus. As long as samples are grown 3 days prior to each flight, the rest of the BalloonSat is designed as such that it could be launched any number of months from now with no issue, assuming fresh batteries are always used.

11.0 Conclusions and Lessons LearnedGateway to Space taught Team Pegasus MSF the value of teamwork. Designing and

building a functional BalloonSat in less than four months is more work than one or two people can do alone. Putting so many driven people in a group together made us all learn to step back and depend on each other, rather than one of us attempting to do the entire project on our own. By the end of the project, we were able to work as a well-oiled machine. Another important lesson we learned is the importance of researching parts before buying them. Seeing as we were all very new to engineering entering this class, we did not realize the importance of compatible hardware. That information would have made integrating our hardware incredibly less difficult, and it also would have allowed us to operate with a smaller budget. The team learned very early on that face to face communication is much more efficient than email. Ideas are easier to communicate when given in person; emails can lead to confusion, which in turn leads to mistakes. With how little time we had to complete this project, it would have been nice to avoid some of those easily preventable mistakes due to poor communication. Regarding technical skills, all team members learned how to create a solder joint and the basics of structural design. We learned a lot more about biological lab work than was initially anticipated, and how much meticulous effort it takes to set up an environment where enough variables are isolated that our results are meaningful. Lastly, we learned that, when in doubt, test, test, test. In all rounds of testing, Pegasus MSF had one HOBO failure; the rest of our hardware worked flawlessly every time. Come launch, our heater and HOBO failed, something that no one on our team expected to happened. Perhaps if we had tested the heater more rigorously instead of assuming its functionality due to the results of our tests, we could have caught its solder defect before launch. The team learned many lessons during this class because of our shortcomings, but we built from them, becoming better problem solvers, and better engineers in the process.



12.0 Messages to Next Semester

Team Pegasus MSF is extremely proud of all that it accomplished this semester. We would attribute that success to an exorbitant amount of time committed to this project on a weekly basis. The three things that worked best for us were holding at least two team meetings a week, starting early, and dividing up the workload between all six members. Analyze what the most efficient way to complete a task is before beginning it; time is your enemy and every second counts. Do not waste precious time doing things the hard way. If we had to do it over again, we would have more carefully analyzed the ideal shape for our BalloonSat to minimize heat loss, keeping the structure as small as possible. That being said, no matter how early you start, or how well you manage the project, this class will still be a challenge. Be professional about your work and communication with each other. The better you communicate, the easier the task will become. Talk about your strengths and weaknesses early, and assign tasks based on those strengths. Embrace it, and trust your teammates to pull through in the end.


1.0 mission overview - spacegrant.colorado.edu · web viewthis sample shall be grown in a lab...

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