The CANDEL Project CANSat DELivery Project Laura Lewis

The CANDEL Project CANSat DELivery Project Laura Lewis Jens Ramrath Cecil Strickland

Background • Idea originated at the 1998 University Space Systems Symposium • Expected Launch Date - Fall 1999 • Participating Universities Include: Stanford Univ. of Tokyo Univ. of Hawaii Tokyo Inst. Of Tech.

Objectives • Design a carrier to house 12 Can. Sats • Eject 12 Can. Sats from carrier • Use onboard camera to view activity during deployment • Transmit pictures to specified location on Earth • Reenter the Earth’s atmosphere • Burn up on reentry

Initial Designs • Brainstorm concept at conference Our first design •

Final Deployment Design • Use rotational velocity, , as primary means of deployment • Assist deployment by light springs 30°

200 mm Can. Sat 2 -D Design 142 mm 382 mm 70 mm

Carrier Design • Cylindrical case with a 382 mm diameter • Cylindrical burrows slightly larger than a “coke” can opening radially outward • Cylindrical area in middle for housing of camera, power, and tracking device • Thin wire covering Can. Sat openings

Can Attachment • Attached to: – Carrier – Adjacent Cans • Tether Joint

Subsystems Placement Pressurized canister in the center of the carrier n Provides protection from the space environment n Reduces costs of subsystems n

Satellite Subsystems • Camera Suggestions • Tracking Device Suggestions – GPS – NORAD Tracking • Picture Transmittal • Requirements

Camera CMOS Active Pixel Sensor • • A single +3. 3 V supply 11 pixel size - 512 x 512 pixel array Digital I/O Low noise Timing and control implemented in chip Low power (10 m. W at 1 M pixels/sec) Radiation resistant compared to CCD’s

CMOS Active Pixel Sensor http: //csmt. jpl. nasa. gov/APS/features

Dycam Modular Digital Camera • • Camera consumes 5 V-9 V at peak current Image organization 496 x 288 pixels Transmits picture to host computer upon request Camera has its own processor and memory (1 or 4 Megabyte) • In sleep mode camera draws 3. 5 m. A, awake mode 125 m. A, image capture 650 m. A for 15 ms • Operated with Dycam’s Picture Viewer Software

Dycam Digital Modular Camera Size: 63 x 24 x 197 mm Weight = 495 grams

Tracking Devices • GPS Options – Simple receiver • Contained in pressurized canister • Determines when pictures will be transmitted to receiver on Earth – Space-hardened • Expensive • NORAD tracking Picture from: www. sni. net

Transmittal Process – GPS • Transmit signal from satellite to receivers on Earth • Transmitter on Earth sends command to send pictures at appropriate time – NORAD tracking • Orbital Elements from NORAD will determine carrier location • Transmitter from Earth sends signal to receiver

Transmittal • Amateur band radio transmitter located on satellite • Device will be used to determine best transmit time to Earth • Various receivers will be placed all over the world to receive pictures

Requirements • Camera Power – CMOS requires 10 m. W – Dycam requires 5 -9 V at 500 m. A peak current • Ground Clock for picture transmittal • GPS Power • Power requirements will determine number of batteries needed

Can. Sat Deployment • Can. Sats move to final circular position using angular momentum and are restrained by tethers

Can. Sat Deployment • Carrier is ejected from primary payload • Wire is heated and allows Can. Sats to eject • Can. Sats will receive initial acceleration from springs

Manufacturing of Dispenser Three proposed materials: • Carbon-Epoxy composites • Aluminum • Foam

Advantages of Foam • • • Very light Easy to build satellite ourselves Can withstand vacuum Possible Temperature and radiation problems Several different kinds of foam available

Foam • Expanded polystyrene – regular styrofoam – is permanently deformed by impacts • Extruded polystyrene – hard foam • Expanded polypropylene – rubber-like foam – can withstand impacts

Tether There are several possible materials • vectran – UV radiation resistant – zero creep • parachute chord – cheap

Testing the dispenser • Test model in 1 -g environment • Test in zero-g onboard NASA KC-135 A aircraft (Vomit Comet)

Questions ?