Airframe Update
The airframe team is currently in the initial design and modeling phase of LV2 vehicle systems and is on schedule with the projected completion date of July 1st, 2001 for delivery of the first airframe.
Some of the areas currently being analyzed and worked on:
- Looking at potential for a minimum diameter airframe (5.35")
- Analysis of flight loads
- FEA modeling of airframe modules of different diameter and rib widths.
- Verification that current altitude simulation software is reliable for this project.
- CAD documentation of conceptual airframe systems.
- Researching nose and fin designs for Mach velocities.
- Preliminary weight and size analysis of recovery system by Paratech Parachutes.
- Assessing several different methods of module connectivity.
- Locating sources and pricing for the aluminum airframe material.
- Locating materials for vacuum forming of fiberglass aero-shell.
- To start preliminary characterization of fiberglass aero-shell material soon.
Propulsion Update
Matt - working on a degasser for the 20lb mixer via a huge mixer box. Hoping to have O motor ready late this spring.
Avionics Update
Andrew - Still looking for BMP (Big Moose Processor): we're deciding between the Motorola MPC555 and two "PC on Chip" computers. Also, Doug Stedman will hopefully be helping us with cylindrical patch antenna design. However, the avionics team is taking a 4 week break from LV2 in order to finish documenting LV1b.
Avionics Team Meeting (after PSAS General Meeting)
The Avionics Team is taking a 4 week break from LV2 and finishing up documenting LV1b so that we can put finally put LV1b behind us. Here are the notes on how we plan to do this. Note that we're not going to document LV1, because LV1b is a superset of LV1b and frankly, if anyone is going to build an avionics system, they ought to build LV1b and NOT LV1.
Everyone will take some small system of LV1b and document it. To help the process, Andrew will email out a generic outline for LV1b document.
- Matt Rupert - Launch Tower Micro
- Jamey & Bart - rocketview, LT software.
- David T. will draw up the hand drawn block diagrams and flowcharts from Andrew.
LV1b Avionics System Documentation Responsibilities:
- FC PCB Andrew
- IMU PCB Tim
- FCOS Andrew
- 2m Uplink Glenn
- Downlink Glenn
- GPS Tim
- ATV Cecilia
- Mechanical David
Schedule
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Preliminary LV2 Timeline Step 1: Low Altitude Airframe Test When: September 2001 Description: We'll launch the airframe on a small commercial motor in order to make sure its stable and it matches our predictions. We'll use whatever avionics we have built, so it could be a very minimum system. At the moment, we're planning on having the complete avionics system built, but the software may not be completely ready. A minimal avionics system would include the 2.4GHz bi-directional communications system, the flight computer, and sensors such as the global positioning system (GPS) and the inertial measurement unit (IMU). Step 2: High Altitude Full Systems Test When: Spring 2002 Description: We'll launch LV2 on our own full-sized motor to its maximum single-stage altitude. We'll have the full avionics system and test how it responds to the flight. If everything goes really well, and we're ahead of schedule, then it's very possible that we would do Step 2 at the Step 1 launch September 2001.
Step 3: Inertial Guidance Test When: POSSIBLY September 2002 Description: We'll have the full avionics system and the "steering" control hardware in place; the rocket will actively guide itself along a course we choose. This step is dependent on the success of Step 1, Step 2, and the building and testing of the guidance hardware. |