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Meet the team: Hot Ice

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ESA / Education / CanSat
Teacher: Odd Minde and Johan Arveliu
Team members: Ida Berneryd (team leader), Anna Huhta (material supplier), Alva Kihlgren (press contact), Victoria Windén (on-line contact).
School: Rymdgymnasiet, Kiruna
Country: Sweden

Description of the CanSat Missions:

To study the crystallisation process of an organic salt (sodium acetate - HotIce). When it is mixed with boiling water until saturation, it forms a viscous liquid. When this cooled liquid or its glass container is touched, it instantly forms crystals. The process is exothermic.
We want to start such a process in the rocket during the space-trip. Hopefully the process and the crystals can be affected by the extreme circumstances around the rocket. We will start the crystallisation in the rocket by having a device poking the container. We will also start the same crystallisation process on Earth.
The mass limitation and sensitivity to orientation are some of the constraints that might make us use other kind of sensors. The accuracy of measures under these constraints will be tested in the lab. The solar radiation must change with the Sun elevation and the gas in the atmosphere. The registered data can give information about the composition of atmosphere.

Progress

The work, which requires special instruments and a specially adjusted environment, will take place at IRF’s Lab and Space Simulator for thermic tests.