High Altitude Extremophiles. Request For Proposal

Transcription

1 High Altitude Extremophiles Request For Proposal 14 February 2006 Submitted by: Team Phoenix Submitted to: Professor Koehler Phoenix - 1-2/24/2006

2 Mission Statement: Our primary mission is to create a balloon satellite which will contain an experiment to collect high altitude bacteria in hopes of determining which types of bacteria can survive in such extreme conditions. Mission Overview: Astrobiology is the scientific study of the origin, distribution, evolution, and future of life in the universe. Our goal is to further the knowledge and understanding in this vital field, by collecting samples of complex bacterium which are able to exist and even thrive in harsh environments such as high UV radiation, low temperatures and pressures. Bacteria found at such harsh environments would be very similar to possible bacteria found on other planets and moons like Mars, Europa, or Titan. Bacteria found on these planets would have to survive deadly UV radiation, freezing and boiling temperatures, and little or no pressure. Furthermore it is entirely possible for bacteria to live in space. In 1969 Apollo astronauts were surprised to discover microorganisms on the Surveyor probes which had landed on the moon three years earlier. The organisms had survived the launch, the harsh vacuum of space, three years of deadly exposure to radiation, being frozen at an average temperature of only twenty degrees above absolute zero, along with no nutrients, water or energy sources. Yet they still survived. We want to collect and learn more about these fascinating organisms. There is still much to be learned of how they are able to survive in impossible environments. The possibilities gained by this knowledge are endless. We would be able to engineer oxygen producing organism that would be able to survive the surface of other planets and oxygenate the surface. Knowledge gained from UV resistant bacteria can help benefit the treatments of cancers and make chemotherapy less dangerous. This is why we hope to collect and discover these hardy organisms for scientists to examine. Technical Overview: Structures: The structure will be a satellite made out of foam core as it has the highest strength to weight ratio. The structure will make use of two mirrors placed at opposite ends for the use of the cameras. These structures material will be made out of foam core as well to keep integration with the rest of the satellite easy. We will also have to accommodate for three Petri dishes on the structure. They will be mounted in such a way as to allow air flow to them, but recessed enough to protect them upon impact. They must be protected at all costs from contamination, so foam core might have to be especially thick there. On the inside, we will have a shelf to mount a few of our circuits. Power and Heating Subsystem: Power will be supplied by 12V batteries for the cameras and 9V batteries for the heat, servo controller and the servo itself. The heating will be radiant heating provided by one board. Phoenix - 2-2/24/2006

3 Optics Subsystem: The optics subsystem will consist of two cameras pointing out of two different sides of the balloon satellite. Each camera will have its own timing circuit which will be calibrated to take a picture about every three minutes. The camera taking pictures of the earth will have a mirror outside of the balloon sat which will be angled downward. The camera taking pictures of the balloon will have a mirror angled upward. Primary Experiment: In order to retrieve selective samples at certain altitudes without contamination it is necessary to construct a very unique design for this purpose. We are hoping to design our scientific payload so that it will expose nutrient agar Petri dishes at certain preplanned altitudes and then seal them from contamination at other altitudes. This will allow us to examine to see if certain bacteria are present at certain altitudes or absent at others. We expect to gather more bacteria at lower altitudes than at higher altitudes. The science payload will feature an innovative rotating Parmesan Shaker Design for exposing and sealing the collection dishes. For this project to be a success, a special motor called a stepping motor will be needed to accurately rotate the instrument disk to expose and seal the experiments. Stepping motors are different from regular RC motors and servos in that they are able to make precise rotations at certain desirable angles, which is essential for this project. They are also lighter and more reliable in colder temperatures, because they produce more heat than regular motors, without the added voltage drain. Stepping motors are Phoenix - 3-2/24/2006

4 able to produce superior amounts of torque on the object they wish to move which would be essential if the said science payload dish were to become obstructed. To power this motor and control its movement and frequency of action a simple, inexpensive PIC microcontroller would also be needed. Using the stepper motor method would be the simplest design for this experiment, thus reducing the chance of failure. The functional block diagrams for the different systems are displayed below. On the left is the diagram displaying our experiment, in the upper right is the block diagram for the cameras, and the lower right displays the diagram for the HOBO. Power Power Servo timing Timing circuit 1 Camera 1 Camera 2 Servo HOBO Petri Lids Temperature sensor 1 Testing: The testing of our satellite will be done by several techniques. As our satellite will be subjected to several rigors, we will have to test everything that could possibly affect our flight. These forces include the controlled crash and the -40 degree temperature. To test against these forces we will have to subject our satellite to these forces. For the crash at the end, we will have to simply throw out craft down a flight of stairs to see if the structure can handle the damage. The temperature will be tested by putting our craft in a cooler with dry ice, and running our systems to simulate flight. If our craft can do its tasks in a box at -40 degrees, it can do it in the air at -40 degrees. In addition to the cold test of our systems, it will also be tested many times at room temperature to simply make sure that our setup has been properly done. The things Phoenix - 4-2/24/2006

5 we would have to test would be the timing of the cameras (without film of course), and especially the Opening device for our Petri dishes will have to be tested many times. Safety: Our group will be doing many things that are potentially hazardous in the creating, testing, and flying of our balloon satellite. These hazards include the inherent dangers of the various different tools used to create the balloon satellite (hot glue guns, knives, etc.), electrical shocking, and burns from the dry ice while testing the satellite. These threats can be dealt with through the use of the proper safety equipment and caution. There is one health issue will come from our main experiment, the collection of high altitude bacteria. There is a possibility that in the collection of bacteria we could collect bacteria which are hazardous. Since this could be potentially serious we will take measures to ensure the integrity of the Petri dishes. This will minimize the risk of any harmful bacteria spreading. Management and Cost: Schedule: Date Task 2/21/2006 Acquire hardware 2/28/2006 Complete satellite design 3/16/2006 Satellite structure built 3/21/2006 Integration of Cameras 3/21/2006 Integration of experiments 4/6/2006 Satellite completely finished 4/8/2006 Cold test 4/15/2006 Final testing of design Phoenix - 5-2/24/2006

6 Team Leader Robert Lossing Power and Heat Optics Experiment Structures Russell Morris Nathan Lester Nicole Dudley Cory Smith Bobby Lossing Russell Morris Nicole Dudley Cory Smith Nathan Lester Cory Smith has taken several classes in woodworking giving him a good working knowledge of manufacturing and assembly. With his experiences he is able to easily visualize in three dimensions in order to see how every component is going to fit together. With his skills Cory is a good choice to work with structures. Russell Morris has the main job of managing and sorting out power supplies and heating systems. He is taking an electronics course along with Gateway to Space so this gives him some knowledge of circuits and wiring. His interest lies in this field of engineering so he is eager to learn how it applies to satellite design and functionality. He has also completed an astronomy course so if any atmospheric knowledge is necessary he can assist with that. He is calm and cooperative and will work hard so he can contribute to any other problem or task the team has. Nathan Lester is working toward a degree in Aerospace engineering. He has had experience in industry having completed a summer internship with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. He has basic programming skills in Python, C, C++, and assembly language as well as experience in assembly and construction. With his skills Nathan can provide insight into the design and review process. Robert Lossing was raised in Maryland and has been around science his entire life. He is fascinated by astronomy and travel in outer space. Now he is now studying engineering biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In his free time he interns at the Colorado Space Grant Consortium as a satellite researcher. Nicole Dudley is a freshman in Aerospace. Up until her senior year in high school, she was attracted to the idea of becoming a veterinarian. Due to her allergies to almost every animal known to mankind, she had to brainstorm other areas she was interested in. She realized with the help of her AP physics teacher that she wanted to get into aeronautic studies, whether it be with satellites or planes. Her mom had worked for Lockheed Martin for over thirty years and Nicole hopes to one day be as successful as her. She has experience with all components of Microsoft Office and is extremely skilled with Paint. Phoenix - 6-2/24/2006

7 Budget: Structures Cost Mass (g) Foam Core $ Mylar insulation $ Adhesive $ Camera camera (given) $ camera (extra) $ mirrors $ Bacteria Experiment Timer $ servo $ Petri dishes $ Power and Heat batteries $ heater 5 HOBO H $ Temperature cable $ Testing Cooler $5.00 N/A Dry Ice $15.00 N/A Total Cost Total Mass (g) $ In order to stay within the budget all of the values were made based on the largest values the team thought each component would weigh and cost. These values came through research and values given in the general mission requirements. Another way to keep to this budget is to get approval from the entire team if the item is going to cost more than the original budget. Phoenix - 7-2/24/2006

8 Contact Information: Robert John Lossing Nicole Dudley Nathan Lester Russell Morris Cory Smith Phoenix - 8-2/24/2006