Meet the team: Dj Auxaltation
| Teacher: | Erik de Schrijver |
| Team members: | Dina El Haddouti and Lieze Vanderstappen (primary experiment, parachute design and parachute-cansat connection systems), Jelle Deseure (Power systems and sensors), Aurélie Finders-Binje (camera system and cansat integration), Xavier Deraet and Tom Bettens (Stabilization and steering systems) |
| School: | Sint-Pieterscollege Jette |
| Country: | Belgium |
Description of the CanSat missions
We intend to stabilize the cansat during parachute descent and to prove that we did by using a variety of sensors. We will use solar power as much as possible. There are uncertainties: We'll try to give the cansat a pointing capability, and have a data-downlink from the sensors, but these are wishes, not promises...
Progress
A suitable imaging system was selected after successfully passing the tests. After studying the commercially available hardware and the Cansat technical requirements, a suitable single-direction trust bearing was chosen and tested to verify it will withstand the shock of parachute opening, while allowing the cansat to counter any parachute induced rotation about a vertical axis during descent. Two military studies, a published scientific paper and a report from a Japanese University cansat project on parachute configurations were taken as a basis for determining the optimal parachute shape in order to assure the most stable descent possible for the Cansat. Parachute manufacturing and testing is completed.
Suitable solar cells were chosen for the Cansat and were tested under simulated flight illumination conditions. A battery system was added. Alternative sensors for the primary mission were chosen, allowing pressure and temperature to be measured over either a wider range or with improved accuracy (as compared to the Cansat kit components).
Work on the solenoids for the magnetorquers stabilizing and orienting the Cansat is terminated and showed unable to perform as requested. The magnetorquer idea was therefore abandoned in favor of a reaction wheel.
The 9DOF module proved incompatible with the microcontroller and was abandoned in favor of a 3D magnetometer. Circuitry and software development for this sensor has been completed.
Project sponsoring is complete and outreach efforts well underway.