PAYLOAD CONCEPT PROPOSAL VENUS EXPLORER MISSION

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1 PAYLOAD CONCEPT PROPOSAL VENUS EXPLORER MISSION More than Meets the Eye Prepared by: Guntersville High School May 2014

2 1.0 Introduction The Venus Fly Traps is a team of six engineering students at Guntersville High School tasked by UAH with designing a payload to be carried aboard an orbiter designed by a team of Aerospace Engineer majors attending UAH. The payload of the Venus Fly Traps, Off Kilter, is named after the unique nature of the double vortex hurricanes on the South Pole (which have eyes that are off kilter with one another). Off Kilter will be examining the storm on the North Pole visually, while onboard the UAH orbiter, before conducting its primary mission. The Venus Fly Traps have thoughtfully designed three payloads that will be deployed into and investigate Venus s very unique South Pole storms. 2.0 Science Objective and Instrumentation The Venus Fly Traps are going to observe, study, and probe the storms on the North and South Poles of Venus. The North Pole hurricane on Venus has not previously been studied in detail, and the unusual off kilter, double-vortex hurricane on the South Pole has puzzled scientists. As Earth s atmosphere is becoming more like Venus s atmosphere (due to greenhouse effects releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and subsequently insulating it), understanding how storms behave on Venus could be applicable to Earth in the future. Also, finding out why these unusual storms occur could reveal to us something previously undiscovered about Venus. The position and composition of the North Pole storm, and the temperature, pressure, wind speed, position, and composition of the South Pole storm will be measured. The North Pole storm will be measured via the visual spectrometer from the orbiter. The South Pole storms will be measured by instruments on several payloads delving into the storms. (See Table 1 for the Science Traceability Matrix (STM) and Table 2 for the Instrument Requirements) Science Objective Analysis of North Storm Analysis of South Storm Table 1. Science Traceability Matrix Measurement Measurement Objective Requirement Position and When orbiter is composition located over North Temperature, pressure, wind speed, and composition Pole As payload enters into the hurricane walls or eye Instrument Selected Visual Spectrometer Spectrometer, accelerometer, thermocouple, and pressure transducer Page 2

3 Instrument Mass Spectrometer Payload Concept Proposal Table 2. Instrument Requirements Power Raw Data Mass (kg) Lifetime(s) Frequency Duration (W) (Mb) < Continuous 180 Accelerometer Continuous 180 Thermocouple.002 N/A < Continuous 180 Pressure < Continuous 180 Transducer CPU Continuous 540 HFR Continuous 360 Transmitter Battery Continuous Payload Design Requirements The atmosphere of Venus has many obstacles that our payload must overcome. The projectiles must be able to withstand temperatures ranging from -100 to 200 C, pressures up to 75 PSI, and wind speeds in the hurricane up to 249mph. The launcher must be able to launch the payloads into the hurricane, and the payloads must be able to send that information to the (UAH s orbiter). Other than environmental requirements, UAH has provided us with several other requirements we must meet. The payload will be provided 5 kg of mass, 10 watts of continuous power while attached to spacecraft, volume of 44x24x28, access to data delivery to Earth, and internal temperature of 294 K while upon the spacecraft, by the (VEM). The payload must deploy from the VEM spacecraft and provide its own power without posing any harm to VEM spacecraft. The payload must survive the environments of space, the atmospheres of Venus, and the South Pole storm. The payload must be able to gather data through harsh conditions and send data back to Earth. 4.0 Alternative Concepts Concept 1 Concept 1 consists of a pneumatic launcher, an onboard visual spectrometer, and three payloads to be deployed into Venus s South Pole hurricanes. The payloads will be loaded into a three barreled pneumatic launcher. The payloads will have flaps to slow the payload, which will be deployed once in Venus s atmosphere, and provide for a steady more stable measurement trajectory. Each payload will have a mass spectrometer, accelerometer, thermocouple, and pressure transducer within it to collect data on the conditions of Venus s South Pole hurricanes. The payloads will also have sustaining equipment such as a battery, CPU, and high frequency transmitter. Page 3

objectives in the entirety of the walls and eye of the hurricane.

4 Figure 1. Concept 1 Concept 2 To analyze the entirety of the South Pole storm, Concept 2 consists of a payload containing two small probes will carry out scientific objectives in the entirety of the walls and eye of the hurricane. In the upper atmosphere of Venus, the two payloads will detach by helium propulsion to study the outer walls of the hurricane. The center module will continue its vertically downward spiral into the eye of the hurricane. Instruments aboard the center module and probes will be a thermocouple, a mass spectrometer, an accelerometer, and a pressure transducer. See Figure 2. Figure 2. Concept 2 Page 4

5 5.0 Decision Analysis Table 3. Payload Decision Analysis FOMs Weight Design 1 Design 2 Payload Concept Proposal 1, 3, or 9 Raw Score Weighted Score Raw Score Weighted Score Science Objective Likelihood Project Requirement Science Mass Ratio Design Complexity ConOps Complexity Likelihood Mission Success Manufacturability Accuracy Data Acquired Durability TOTAL Engineering Analysis Concept 1 was chosen due to its simplicity and therefore low possibility of complication or failure. The mass of the carbon fiber reinforced plastic payload was determined using a density of 1,800 kg/m 3. The mass of the instruments and battery were included in the total mass. The orbital velocity of the orbiter was determined using the following equation: where G = 6.67 * 10-11, M is the mass of Venus (4.867 * kg), and r is the radius of orbit (6,282,000 km). The orbital velocity was found to be 7,188 m/s. The muzzle velocity of the projectile was found using the following formula: 2 where the pressure (P) is 91.6 psi (631,591 Pa), the cross-sectional area (A) is m 2, the mass of the projectile (m) is kg, the length of the barrel (d) is 0.4 m, and initial velocity (vi) is 0. The muzzle velocity was found to be 7,320 m/s. The terminal velocity of the projectile was found using the following formula: Page 5

6 2 where m is the mass of the projectile (0.397 kg), g is the acceleration of gravity on Venus (8.87 m/s 2, is the density of the atmosphere (0.594 kg/m 3 ), Cd is the coefficient of drag (0.295), and S is the cross-sectional area of the projectile ( m 2 ). The terminal velocity was found to be m/s. This velocity was used to determine the time the projectile is in the storm. The time in the storm was found using time=distance/velocity, and terminal velocity was applied. The height of the storm used was 65 km. The mass of the battery was found based on the power usage of the instruments, which was found to be Watts. The mass was calculated using m(battery) = / and was found to be 1.54 g. 7.0 Final Design The Venus Fly Traps have designed a mission that utilizes a visual spectrometer, tri-barrel launcher, and three independent payloads. The objective for the Venus Fly Traps is to examine the unique storms inhabiting the poles of Venus. The Venus Fly Traps plan to accomplish this in two steps. First, during the s orbiter s elliptical orbit, aerobraking in the South Pole and rounding the planet at a great distance while over the North Pole, we will employ the s visual spectrometer to record infrared photos of the North Pole storm in order to get more information about the hurricane that has previously gone unstudied in detail. Next, the three independent payloads will depart to examine the South Pole hurricanes of Venus. The three payloads will be ejected from the orbiter by a pneumatic launcher consisting of three barrels which will house the separate payloads until they are ready to be launched. When each payload is an optimal distance from its location its destination, the corresponding valve of the barrel will release 91.6 psi of pressurized helium, provided by the. The barrels will be aimed opposite the direction of the orbiter s travel and will be parallel with surface of Venus. After the payload is launched out of the barrel at 91.6 psi, with a muzzle velocity of 70 m/s, the centripetal force will be reduced enough for the gravity of Venus to pull it out of orbit and toward the ground. After launch, the payload will fall 170 km at terminal velocity in the negligible top layers of Venus s atmosphere. 26 minutes and 45 seconds after the launch the payload will reach 60 km above Venus s surface, the point at which Venus s atmosphere becomes dense enough to consider drag, which is also where the hurricane begins in the atmosphere. At this point the payload s flaps will deploy, due to the collision with the denser atmosphere, to slow the payload for more accurate measurement and the payload s instruments will begin measuring and recording data in order to uncover the mysteries of the very unique phenomenon. The measuring instruments (mass spectrometer, pressure transducer, thermocouple, accelerometer) will all continue to measure throughout the duration of the descent through the storm, which will take 3 minutes. At 40 km above the surface of Venus the hurricane ends, thus the payload will depart the storm. After exiting the storm the measuring instruments aboard the payload will cease to measure, at which point all data collected will be transmitted to the orbiter via high frequency radio transmitter. The sustaining instruments (battery, CPU, HFR transmitter), which will engage upon entering the storm at 60 km, will continue to function after exiting the storm in order to transmit all collected data to the orbiter during the remaining 6 Page 6

minutes of the mission. After the 6 min, at which point all the data has been delivered to the orbiter, the payload will be grounded and will have completed its objective.

Each payload has a destination that will yield the most appropriate data for the mission. Payload A and B will be entering the separate eyes of the interlocking hurricanes.

7 minutes of the mission. After the 6 min, at which point all the data has been delivered to the orbiter, the payload will be grounded and will have completed its objective. Venus s South Pole holds two massive interlocking hurricanes in which The Venus Fly Trap s intend to probe with three payloads. Each payload has a destination that will yield the most appropriate data for the mission. Payload A and B will be entering the separate eyes of the interlocking hurricanes. Payload C will be entering the interlocking walls of the hurricanes. These destinations have been chosen in order to find the most revealing data about Venus s mysterious storms..figure 3. Payload Final Design Page 7

Table 4. Final Design Mass Table Function Mass (kg) Deploy.014 Measure 1.446 Collect Data.

Payload Design Compliance Requirement Payload Design No more than 5 kg of mass 2.

8 Table 4. Final Design Mass Table Function Mass (kg) Deploy.014 Measure Collect Data.282 Provide Power Send Data.255 House/Contain Payload Table 5. Payload Design Compliance Requirement Payload Design No more than 5 kg of mass kg Fit within 44cm x 24 cm x 28 cm when stowed 40 cm Survive environment Durable Carbon Fiber exterior No harm to the spacecraft Independent Payloads Page 8

Community Engagement Activity Summary The Venus Fly Traps held an Engineering Day at Guntersville

with the opportunity to participate in a competition that provides vital experience for college and

While at the middle school The Venus Fly Traps presented a rudimentary run through of the mission

We allowed the students to shoot the T-shirt launcher which demonstrates pneumatic launching.

Greenhouse effect and how the carbon that once was in the solids of Venus has diffused into the

9 Community Engagement Activity Summary The Venus Fly Traps held an Engineering Day at Guntersville Middle School to inform the students of UAH s and NASA s effort to provide high school students with the opportunity to participate in a competition that provides vital experience for college and a career. While at the middle school The Venus Fly Traps presented a rudimentary run through of the mission and demonstrated several science experiments corresponding with Venus and astrophysics. We allowed the students to shoot the T-shirt launcher which demonstrates pneumatic launching. We also demonstrated what happened when you dropped a Mentos into diet Coke, which demonstrates the Greenhouse effect and how the carbon that once was in the solids of Venus has diffused into the atmosphere. Also, we demonstrated orbital centripetal force with a bucket of water. Lastly, we demonstrated the immense pressure of the Venusian carbon dioxide atmosphere, by sublimating dry ice in a bottle. Page 9

PAYLOAD CONCEPT PROPOSAL. FREE FALL West Point High School

PAYLOAD CONCEPT PROPOSAL. FREE FALL West Point High School PAYLOAD CONCEPT PROPOSAL FREE FALL West Point High School 1.0 INTRODUCTION Europa s plumes where first discovered by the Hubble Telescope in December 2012. The plumes have only been observed when Europa