Undergraduate Space Research Symposium University of Colorado Boulder Presenters: Caleb Lipscomb and Jon Sobol

HASP HELIOS II 2013Undergraduate Space Research Symposium

University of Colorado Boulder

Presenters:Caleb Lipscomb and Jon Sobol

University of Colorado Boulder 2

Supported by the NASA Balloon Program Office (BPO), run by LSU

Max Altitude: approx. 36km 15 to 20 hours of flight time 11 million cubic foot helium

Balloon 12 Student Payloads

◦ 8 small 3 kg payloads◦ 4 large 20 kg payload

HELIOS II, Large payload

High Altitude Student Platform (HASP)


Orbital Platforms ◦ Expensive to develop and launch into space, cost

limits access.◦ Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) – $106.8 Million◦ Solar and Hemispheric Observatory (SOHO) - $1.05

Billion Ground Based

◦ Face interference from the atmosphere, lowering the quality of the images

High Altitude Balloons◦ Low Cost ◦ Ascended above 99.5% of atmosphere

Current Solar Observation


Mission Objectives:1. Observe and capture images of the Sun in

Hydrogen Alpha wavelength and to identify sun spots in those images.

2. Design and implement a system to locate the Sun in the sky and orient cameras towards the sun.

3. Prove the viability of high altitude balloon solar observation during a Colorado Space Grant Consortium (COSGC) sponsored HASP flight.

Hydrogen-Alpha Exploration with Light Intensity Observation

System (HELIOS II)


Hydrogen Alpha Sun Spots

656.28 nm◦ In visible light range

Mid Chromosphere of the Sun

Average Sunspots: 10,000 km to 50,000 km in diameter

Solar Cycle max


HELIOS II Design Attitude

Determination and Control System (ADCS)

Solar Wavelength Imaging System (SWIS)

Electronic Power System (EPS)

Command and Data Handling (C&DH)

Structure and Thermal


2 cameras◦ Science Camera - Identify Sun Spots◦ ADCS Camera - Characterize performance of

Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS)

Imaging Source “51”Series CCD Cameras ◦ 1600 x 1200 pixel CCD chip

Hydrogen Alpha filtration system

Solar Wavelength Imaging System (SWIS)


2 Lenses Fov:

Vertical ϕ Axis: 1.56° or 1° 33’ 30.1” Horizontal θ Axis: 2.08° or 2° 4’ 40.1”

Science Camera Magnification


ADCS Camera Magnification 1 Lens

Fov: Vertical ϕ Axis: 15.5° Horizontal θ Axis: 20.1°


Filtration System 400 nm Dichroic Longpass Filter (UV filter) Hot Mirror (IR filter) Neutral Density Filters Narrow Bandpass Filter (Hydrogen Alpha)

◦ 656 nm, 10 nm bandwidth


Picture: 1600 px by 1200 px

Science Camera: Expected Results


• Sun: approx 417px in diameter

• 10,000 km: 3 px in diameter

• 50,000 km: 15 px in diameter

• 1 px: approx. 3333 km


Aluminum Frame

Structure Overview

Triangular Trusses

SWIS

ADCS

Electrical and

Computing Housing

Mounting Plate

Photodiodes


HASP Interface

14.9


Motor drivers and CPU to be heat sinked to outer aluminum structure

Entire platform to be painted white◦ Higher emissivity◦ No reflective interference

Excess aluminum to be used in the electrical and computer housing structure to dissipate heat

Thermal


Electrical and Power Systems (EPS)

Power Provided by HASP Platform◦ EDAC 512 connector◦ 30 Volts at 2.5 Amps

Converts HASP power to power required by payload systems

Arduino Due◦ Monitor current and voltage◦ MOSFETs


Circuit Diagram

Command and Data Handling (C&DH)


Main Computer – Pandaboard Communication between

subsystems Store images

◦ Solid State Drive

Environmental Sensors:◦ Accelerometer◦ Pressure Sensor ◦ Thermocouples◦ Signal relay: MUX◦ Analog to digital converter

Health and Status Downlink

OverviewCommand Action

Power ON Activates power to HELIOS II payload

Power OFF Terminates power to HELIOS II payload

Reset ADCS Restarts the ADCS command algorithm, used to trouble shoot in flight ADCS issues

Discrete Commands:


Pandaboard

ADCS

SWIS

Digital signal to ADCS to start orienting

Digital signal to Pandaboard confirming orientation

Digital signal to SWIS to take picture

Picture sent to Pandaboard thereby informing it to signal ADCS to start orienting

HASP Platform

Ground Station

Temperature sensors

Communication

Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) 2 Motors

Arduino DUE 2 Photodiode Arrays

◦ Theta (Θ) Array◦ Phi (Φ) Array

Theta (Θ) Array

Phi (Φ) Array

Phi Motor

Theta Motor


Arrays

3D Printed at ITLL Made out of Nylon/Acrylic Composite Theta sensor has 14 photodiodes and Phi Sensor has 6. Designed for modularity and ease of access

Theta () Photo Diode ArrayPhi (Φ) Photo Diode Array


System and Controls Overview


ADCS Orientation Process1. C&DH sends ADCS command to reorient.

2. ADCS collects Theta Plane photodiode

readings

3. ADCS centers to highest intensity source

4. ADCS collects phi plane photodiode

readings.

5. ADCS centers to highest intensity source

on phi plane

6. ADCS retakes theta plane readings and

reorients.

7. ADCS initiates Symmetry Test

8. ADCS sends command to C&DH that

orientation has been completed.

9. C&DH sends command to SWIS to

capture an image


Concept of Operations

Flight Timeline

Day Float Night Float

Descent

LandingLaunch

Ascent

T 0 hrsLaunch- System powered

off

T 2 hrsFloat Altitude- Power on and check H+S of all systems

T 10 hrsPower off Payload

T 2.5 hrs Begin

Mission Operations

T 22 hrsHASP

Platform Lands

36 km

Alt

itud

e

T 20Begin Descent


1. Discrete Cmd given by ground station to power

on HELIOS II

2. EPS activates power to

Pandaboard. Pandaboard

reports initial health and status

to ground

3. EPS powers on ADCS, ADCS

reports H+S to Pandaboard

4. Discrete command ADCS to begin operations

5. Run mission operations: track

sun & capture images

System Initialization Procedures


Current Flight date: August 26 Identify at least one sun spot

◦ Observe same sun spot in 3 separate pictures ADCS success:

◦ Observe sun in 10% of Science camera images◦ Exact performance characterized by ADCS

camera Prove viability of high altitude balloon

observatories

Flight and Results


Questions?

Documents

Undergraduate Space Research Symposium University of Colorado Boulder Presenters: Caleb Lipscomb and Jon Sobol