Team Mechies - Constructing the Payload
TEAM MECHIES – PROGRESS REPORT 1
What We Did:
Thus far, we have made strides in both planning the design of the payload and testing the details of the entire structure, such as the parachute. We spent time communicating with the satellite tracking team and finding out how fast the payload would be traveling as it re-enters the atmosphere of the earth. We did this because the spot trackers only transmits signal four miles above the surface, so we had figure out how many pings we would receive before the payload crashed on the ground. Our team also spent time testing the effectiveness of the parachute. Furthermore, we created many different payload designs and styles. We agreed that the best design for the payload structure is a flat piece of wood above the camera rig with the spot tracker attached directly to the wood.
What Problems We Faced:
When we were figuring out how to construct the payload, there were several issues that we had to overcome. The main one being how to attach a camera rig meant for 3D viewing. We had to make sure that nothing will obstruct the cameras’ viewpoints. We also had to ensure that everything will be secure enough to survive the trip to space and back. Both of these things had to be considered when we were planning the payload - we needed an open yet durable design. We also had to ensure that the right sized balloon and parachute were purchased. If these calculations were incorrect, the balloon would pop in the wrong height range, or the payload would land in the wrong area.
What Solutions We Found:
In constructing the payload, we decided to create a platform on top of the 3D camera rig. At first, we considered building a box that would sit on top of the rig, but we determined that the items in our payload did not necessarily need to be inside of a container. We plan to use zip ties to affix items to the surface of the platform, ensuring that everything will stay in place for the duration of the flight. The platform will also overlap the edges of the camera rig a bit. This gives us a place to anchor the torches, and we have also collaborated with the video team to determine that a slight overhang should not obstruct the cameras. Aside from the payload, our largest task was to determine the correct size of balloon and parachute. We spent a few days in class using online calculators to run different simulations of flight height, course, and duration based on our target payload weight. In this way, we found that a 600g balloon best suits our needs, and is also much easier to work with than a larger balloon. We then used descent rate calculators to determine that we will need a 1.5m parachute.
Moving Forward:
Our biggest step moving forward is to start having a clear vision of what our apparatus is going to look like and how we are going to assemble it. So far, we took a trip to Lowes and purchased some crucial items such as hook screws, regular screws that will attach the camera mount to the rest of the payload, rope to connect the parachute to the balloon and the parachute to the payload, and wood that will be used to create the top of our payload as well as a stable bottom that the 4 screws coming from the camera mount will attach to. Once we have the payload set up, we plan checking if it is an appropriate weight, and dropping off a high place such a window to see how stable it will be while connected to the parachute. Once the payload is deemed safe to fly, we should be ready to send it into space.
