How Can You Make Your Balloon-Sat ?

When we started we thought it would be prepared to contest IREC’10 Rocket Competition tests are going to do the most important factor for us. We thought that methods to try electronic system such as High-altitude ballon, Civil aircraft, microlight aircraft or multicopter to leave satellite model.

The easiest way to use Hellium balloon !

Step 1: List of Material

Electronics

CanSat Main Board

Arduino Nano

10Dof IMU

Real Time Clock

SparkFun Venus GPS Module

Li-po battary 3 cell

Xbee S2b 2.4 GHz Communication Module

Action Camera ( Hacked )

Voltage Regulator for action camera

Directional antenna for ground station

Mechanics

Parachute 50 cm in diameter

Pvc Container

Metal Gear Servo motor for seperation system

Software

Arduino IDE

XCTU Software for ground station

Step 2: Make It

Lets make a Ballon-Sat,

Firstly I assembled electronic parts for cansat main board then All programs tested separately.

First test : Does the SD card is working correctly ? if it is Yes and next test

Second test : Does the IMU is working correctly ? if it is Yes and next test

Third test : Does the GPS is working correctly ? Sure I was in open air. GPS looked sky. if it is Yes and next test

Fourth test : Does the Altitude sensors is working correctly ?

Fifth test : Does the Communication is working correctly ? I was sure send a data and recieved data on my ground station.

We can solve a lot of problems with this method. If everything is correct, I could begin to merge all program.

Step 3: Make It

Time is assemble the Balloon-Sat Structure. So We used PVC box which is more stronger and light than other metals.

We used servo motor for seperation system. System locked to balloon specific angels of servo motor and seperation from ballon others angel of servo motor.

The specifics of this step will depend on how is precise the altitude sensors. We test again Altitude sensors with servo motor. For instance, If our Balloon-Sat at 10 meters above the sea level, main board turn the 90 degrees servo motors rotor. Balloon-sat attached the hellium balloon. If our balloon-Sat at 15 meters abouve the sea level, main board turn the 180 degrees servo motors and balloon-sat seperating from the hellium balloon. We tested such a case at least 10 times. The last time we checked Electronics and software when all construction is completed.

We modifed the action camera because its battery died and we used external battery for the survival of the camera :). We used external voltage divider to clearly 5 voltage.

Step 4: Use It

The balloon-Sat was fully assembled. We were ready to Fly, We were waiting weather conditions.We were sure that all electronics working and communcation was ready. We were waiting GPS connect to satellite.

Everything was OKAY. Turned the main board on. We realeased the balloon-Sat to the sky. Our goal was to perform separation of 500 meters. We were not sure that we will find again :). We wrote on our contact information. We sent him an obscurity.

Thank you for your time in reading this,

Source :www.foxinspace.com/2015/08/15/how-can-you-make-your-balloon-sat/