Title
NASA Space Grant 2017 Eclipse Ballooning Project
Start Date
30-6-2016 9:50 AM
End Date
30-6-2016 10:15 AM
Abstract
Montana Space Grant Consortium students and staff along with teams from Louisiana State University, University of Minnesota, Iowa State University and University of Colorado Boulder are developing the Common Payload for the NASA Space Grant 2017 Eclipse Ballooning Project. With the underlying goal of student involvement, teams from across the country will build, test and fly the Common Payload during the total solar eclipse on 8-21-2017 that crosses the US from Oregon to South Carolina. An overview of the system is presented.
The primary flight payload is a student designed and constructed low cost platform that can report balloon positions, stream video and take snapshot images all at altitude in real or near real-time. The Iridium satellite modem provides updated latitude, longitude and altitude data allowing the ground station antennas to track the balloon throughout the flight while providing the FAA near real-time tracking information of the balloon. The ground station antennas allow communication both to and from the primary flight payload. Using a 900Mhz radio, students are able to interact with the still image camera settings and take ‘on command’ images which are then transferred to the ground station. Steaming HD video is accomplished by using a 5.8Ghz modem to transfer video data to the ground station where the feed is then uploaded onto a website for public viewing.
Students are able to send a ‘flight termination email’ via the Iridum satellite modem which then uses on board XBEE radio pairs to command the cut-down system to end the flight.
NASA Space Grant 2017 Eclipse Ballooning Project
Montana Space Grant Consortium students and staff along with teams from Louisiana State University, University of Minnesota, Iowa State University and University of Colorado Boulder are developing the Common Payload for the NASA Space Grant 2017 Eclipse Ballooning Project. With the underlying goal of student involvement, teams from across the country will build, test and fly the Common Payload during the total solar eclipse on 8-21-2017 that crosses the US from Oregon to South Carolina. An overview of the system is presented.
The primary flight payload is a student designed and constructed low cost platform that can report balloon positions, stream video and take snapshot images all at altitude in real or near real-time. The Iridium satellite modem provides updated latitude, longitude and altitude data allowing the ground station antennas to track the balloon throughout the flight while providing the FAA near real-time tracking information of the balloon. The ground station antennas allow communication both to and from the primary flight payload. Using a 900Mhz radio, students are able to interact with the still image camera settings and take ‘on command’ images which are then transferred to the ground station. Steaming HD video is accomplished by using a 5.8Ghz modem to transfer video data to the ground station where the feed is then uploaded onto a website for public viewing.
Students are able to send a ‘flight termination email’ via the Iridum satellite modem which then uses on board XBEE radio pairs to command the cut-down system to end the flight.