The%20HASP%20Program%20for%20Student%20Built%20Aerospace%20Experiments

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The HASP Program for Student Built Aerospace
Experiments

• T.G. Guzik and J. P. Wefel
• Dept. of Physics Astronomy and Louisiana Space
  Consortium, Louisiana State University, Baton
  Rouge, LA U.S.A.

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The Primary Problem

• How do we get from

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Programs in this series

• Louisiana Aerospace Catalyst Experiences for
  Students (LaACES)
• Entry level uses small payloads (500 g) with
  sounding balloon vehicle
• 2006-2007 is the fourth year of operation
• LSU (10 students, extramural), UNO (5 students,
  one credit), LaTech (11 students, laboratory
  course), McNeese (6 students, extramural), SU (4
  students, extramural)

• Physics Aerospace Catalyst Experiences for
  Students (PACER)
• Focus on establishing LaACES-like programs at
  HBCU institutions
• Bring teams to LSU for 9-week intensive summer
  workshop
• Mentor institutions during academic year
• New start next summer, proposal pending at NSF
• High Altitude Student Platform (HASP)
• For advanced undergraduates and graduates
• Support student thesis projects
• Developed here with support from BOR, LaSPACE,
  Department, and College

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Build Practical Research Skills

• First need to establish the technical skills
• Semi-formal Student Ballooning Course guides
  this process
• 33 lectures in electronics, programming, design
  and management
• 33 hands-on activities illustrate all the basic
  concepts
• Takes place over fall semester

• Next need to apply these skills
• Develop an experiment from scratch
• Must have real science content
• no cockroaches allowed!
• Go through all project phases
• design, development, fabrication, testing,
  operation
• Series of reviews (written and oral) check
  progress
• Takes place over spring semester
• Science results presented after flight
• Skills apply to all S E research fields.

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Major HASP Features

• Support flight test up to 12 student built
  payloads
• Eight small payloads lt 1 kg four large payloads
  lt 10 kg
• Fly to an altitude gt 36 km for a duration of 20
  hours
• Provide payloads with serial uplink/downlink,
  discretes, 28 VDC power, analog downlink
• Downlink available in near real time

• Include CosmoCam for real time video during
  launch flight
• NASA partnership supports three flights
• First flight September 4, 2006
• Two more flights, once a year

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Student Payload Interface

• Small and large versions are identical except for
  size
• Base is 6 mm thick PVC plate with bolt hole in
  each corner for mounting plate to HASP
• DB9 connector provides RS-232 serial
  communication
• EDAC 516 connector provides 28 VDC power, two
  analog downlink channels and two discrete command
  channels
• Serial connection provides two way real time
  communication
• Downlink at up to 4800 baud
• Uplink serial commands to student payload

• Mounting plate with wiring pigtail and document
  provided to each student payload group
• Students can mount and wire as they please within
  the allowed region
• HASP wiring harness attaches to connectors and
  plate is bolted to frame during integration
• Small version for 15 cm x 15 cm (footprint) x 30
  cm (tall), 1 kg payloads
• Large version for 38 cm x 38 cm (footprint) x 30
  cm (tall), 10 kg payloads

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Fly out of Ft. Sumner NM
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On-site Assembly Testing
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Launch Day Sept 4, 2006
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HASP Launched at 1551 UTC
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18 hour flight, 15 at float
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Little damage on recovery
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Student Payloads

• This year HASP flew 8 student payloads from 4
  institutions and students are in the early stages
  of analyzing their results.
• University of Alabama Huntsville
• Infrared telescopes to remotely study the thermal
  characteristics of the balloon envelope (4 small
  payloads)
• Texas A M University
• Video camera system to study remote sensing from
  high altitude (1 small)
• University of Louisiana Lafayette
• Nuclear emulsion stack to investigate high energy
  cosmic rays (1 large)
• Louisiana State University (Mechanical Eng.)
• Study the flow characteristics of various rocket
  nozzles as a function of altitude (1 large
  payload)
• Louisiana State University (Physics)
• Prototype of an accelerometer based inertial
  navigation system (1 small)

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Very preliminary results
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Call for Payloads 2006-2007

• Next HASP flight scheduled for Sept. 2007
• Student teams need to submit applications by Dec.
  15, 2006
• CFP document and application materials is
  available on the Participant Info tab of the
  HASP website -- http//laspace.lsu.edu/hasp/Parti
  cipantinfo.html
• Would also highly recommend downloading and
  reading the other documents referenced on this
  page
• Provide background information and details that
  will help your students design a successful HASP
  payload.
• HASP Student Payload Interface Document
• Balloon Flight Users Handbook (CSBF website)
• Gondola Design (CSBF website)

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Application Structure

• The application should include at least the
  following sections
• Cover sheet Form is provided in the CFP as well
  as a separate link on the HASP website to a MS
  Word version. Includes title, abstract and
  contact information
• Payload Description One or two page summary of
  the scientific objective, a high level systems
  description and a description of the principle of
  operation of the experiment.
• Management Who is involved in the team, how the
  team is structured and managed, organization
  chart, preliminary timeline leading to HASP
  integration and flight, how many personnel will
  be involved in integration and flightline
  operations.
• Payload Specifications Detail HASP resources
  (weight, dimensions, telemetry, commanding,
  power) required by the experiment, procedures for
  integration and flight operations.
• Drawings Dimensioned drawings of the payload,
  structure, payload plate modifications, payload
  orientation and location
• No budget is required as we will not be
  distributing any direct support funds.
• Use standard 12 pt font and at least 1 margins,
  but otherwise there is no limit on the number of
  pages, appendixes, figures, or tables.

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Submission Instructions

• E-mail PDF version of application to
• guzik_at_phunds.phys.lsu.edu
• Mail hardcopy of application to
• T. Gregory Guzik
• Department of Physics Astronomy
• Louisiana State University
• Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001
• Applications will be reviewed by HASP Management
  at LSU and the NASA Balloon Program Office
• Applications will be reviewed for completeness,
  consistency, scientific or technical
  justification, and ability to fit within the HASP
  constraints
• Priority will be given to payloads that are
  clearly designed, built, managed and operated by
  students
• Decisions will be announced by January 15, 2007

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Flight Requirements

• Successful applications will still need to
  satisfy particular requirements.
• Integration Plan Due June 1 this document
  provides technical details about all payload
  interfaces and integration test procedures
  including a schedule and identifying personnel
  participating in integration. (Provided by
  student team)
• Integration Certification At integration all
  interfaces will be documented and validated,
  correct operation of the payload will be
  verified, and any issues identified will be
  detailed. (Provided by HASP following
  integration)
• Flight Operation Plan Due at integration this
  document details procedures for flightline setup,
  pre-launch checkout, flight operations and
  payload recovery including a schedule and
  identifying personnel participating in flight
  operations. (Provided by student team)
• Science Report Due in December following the
  flight this report provides analysis of the
  student payload flight and science / technical
  results from the flight. (Provided by student
  team)
• The Integration Plan, Integration Certification
  and Flight Operation Plan will need to be signed
  off by HASP prior to the flight
• The Science Report will be required prior to
  submitting an application for a follow-on HASP
  flight.

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Summary

• The first flight of HASP was very successful
• System was assembled, tested and flight ready
  about one week
• 18 hours from launch to landing, 15 hours at
  altitudes gt 110,000 feet
• No glitches in telemetry and commanding
  throughout the flight
• Thermal performance exceeded expectations (e.g.
  battery temp remained above 10o C for most of the
  flight)
• Student payload data, HASP housekeeping and
  position / altitude information was available in
  real-time on the HASP website
• Only very minor damage upon landing
• Yearly flights will support timely student
  payload development
• NASA BPO continuing support at least for the next
  two flights
• Anticipate continuing support if sufficient
  demand is shown
• Further information and updates can be found at
  the HASP website at http//laspace.lsu.edu/HASP/