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Line 31: − + − '''Note: the below project is no longer active in SSI. Please see the [[Balloons]] page for an updated list of projects.'''+ + + + + + + + + + + − ValBal (Valve and Ballast), is a world record-breaking high-altitude balloon payload that autonomously maintains a set altitude for days of flight by venting helium gas and dropping ballast. If you are interested in MechE, EE, CS, Physics, or even MatSci or ChemE, there's a place for you on the ValBal team! + + + + − **Computer Aided Design (CAD) in SolidWorks+ − **3D printing+ − **Messing with dry ice+ − **Laser cutting+ − **Random jank manufacturing tricks+ − **and everything else that goes into making ValBal mechanics run smoothly+ Line 57:
Line 70: − − − == HABEES == − '''Note: the below project is no longer active in SSI. Please see the [[Balloons]] page for an updated list of projects.''' − − − HABEES (High Altitude Balloon Electrical Engineering Systems) is the umbrella project for all EE & CS projects outside of ValBal (that is, largely oriented at standard profile balloon launches). Because of this, there is a nearly limitless number of possibilities and projects to pursue within HABEES -- with that said, if you're new to EE or CS, or a veteran, and just generally want some ideas of what you can make, here's a bunch! Contact {{slack-user|kirillsafin}} to discuss working on any of these! − − * HONEY EE -- the primary electronics in HABEES revolve around the HONEY architecture. If you're interested in EE, you can test circuits and/or make PCB's for this architecture and have it fly with other boards. Head over to the [[Gen_2_Architecture | HONEY]] page to understand more about it. Below are some project ideas for circuits/boards you can make for HONEY! − ** Motor/Servo Driver − ** External/Internal Payload Heaters − ** Atmospheric Gas Sensors − ** Wind Sensors − ** SSTV Radio Board − ** WinLink Radio Email Board − ** APRS Radio Board − ** 12V Battery Management System − ** General Purpose Radio Transceiver − ** Camera Board − ** CubeSat Mapping Board − ** Literally anything else − * HONEY CS -- although there's a lot of electronics in HABEES, they all need some software; and, even better, that software always has room for improvement, so here's some possible projects! − ** Software for tracking something (with motors/servos) − ** Improving filtering/error checking for sensors − ** Compression algorithms for logged & transmitted data − ** Enhancing speed, quality, and throughput of CAN Bus − ** Enhancing TestBench (QueenBee) test software − ** Introducing/Developing radio encoding & decoding schemes − ** Developing forward & reverse error correction for radio links − ** Developing Point-To-Point radar link software − − == BUZZ == − '''Note: the below project is no longer active in SSI. Please see the [[Balloons]] page for an updated list of projects.''' − − − BUZZ is the umbrella subteam for balloons radio projects. It operated as part of HABEES, and works to develop/try/test new radio technologies within balloons. ValBal also develops independent and system-specific radio systems. Some ideas for possible projects, as well as ongoing projects, are below: Talk to {{slack-user|kirillsafin}} and {{slack-user|ariatedjarati}} about them! − * Improved ATV link quality − * Teensy-native SSTV Transmission & Reception − * APRS development − * Native GFSK/FSK/OOK transceivers & software − * WiFi downlink/uplink (2.4GHz / 5 GHz) − * Stanford Ground Station (high gain, directional) − * Portable Field Ground Station − * Balloons National Ground Station Networ − * WinLink Global Radio E-Mail − * Digital Video/Image encoding −
Balloons projects (updated)
HABMC is SSI's in-house developed web-based High Altitude Balloon Mission Control (HABMC) platform. From here, we can track our balloons all over the world, streaming live telemetry data from onboard sensors and controlling the balloons altitude and trajectory by sending commands. Infinitely adaptable and expandable, HABMC allows balloons to launch a diverse set of payload types and receive data ''from'' anywhere in the world, ''to'' anywhere in the world. HABMC can be found [https://habmc.stanfordssi.org/flight here.]
HABMC is SSI's in-house developed web-based High Altitude Balloon Mission Control (HABMC) platform. From here, we can track our balloons all over the world, streaming live telemetry data from onboard sensors and controlling the balloons altitude and trajectory by sending commands. Infinitely adaptable and expandable, HABMC allows balloons to launch a diverse set of payload types and receive data ''from'' anywhere in the world, ''to'' anywhere in the world. HABMC can be found [https://habmc.stanfordssi.org/flight here.]
== ValBal ==
== Cycloon ==
Team Lead:
Balloons launched by SSI from California have flown over three continents and two oceans. What better way to leverage these high-precision, long-endurance flight capabilities than to fly into and collect data from hurricanes, nature’s most awe-inspiring and destructive storms?
That’s exactly what Cycloon is up to. In just one quarter, our team successfully launched five missions that tested marine tethers, control algorithms, launch maneuvers, and trajectory optimizations to reach storms over the ocean. In the coming year, we’ll be developing radiosondes to drop into weather systems over the continental US, with our eyes set on the big prize: collecting data from an Atlantic or Pacific hurricane in fall 2022 and publishing our results in a conference!
Our task is exciting and ambitious, and a ton of cool challenges await. Want to design lightweight, power-optimized embedded systems? Have a ham radio license and ideas for scaling up data downlink? Interested in inventing new search and optimization algorithms? Just love meteorology and want to direct engineering efforts for a scientific objective? Can’t wait to see the day when the next NHC advisory means dozens of balloons launched within 48 hours? We can’t either! Join Cycloon to develop cutting-edge technology, perform important scientific research, and create a meaningful impact on the world!
== Balloonerang ==
Retrieving payloads is just as important as launching them. Balloonerang tackles the challenge of payload recovery with a single, integrated, guided recovery system, simulating when aerodynamics, mechanical, and controls work become inseparable. It is the newest and fastest growing balloons team.
A Balloonerang payload is launched to near-space and then autonomously glides to land near the outskirts of inhabited areas, reducing time and cost of recovery operations. This stubby glider spends up to a week in the freezing upper atmosphere, ballasting weight, recharging batteries with onboard solar panels, keeping itself and the payload warm, and communicating important data back to Earth with its satellite radio system. When it’s time to terminate the mission, the glider severs its connection to the balloon and zipps back to earth at over 70mph, fighting hundred mile per hour jetstreams, stabilizing itself in high altitude turbulence, and guiding itself to a mission defined recovery site. At 400 feet above the ground, the glider deploys the parachute and descends safely to the ground. Whew! What a journey! And what an adventure for you to go on!
If you’re interested in CAD design, board fabrication, data visualization, aerodynamics, optimizing flight paths, or anything electronics, Balloonerang has a place for you to shine. Join this tight knit team to experience a little bit of everything: flight control algorithms, complex mechanical design, and hands-on electrical engineering experience.
== ValBal ==
'''Note: the below project is no longer active in SSI. Please see the [[Balloons]] page for an updated list of projects.'''
ValBal (Valve and Ballast), is a world record-breaking high-altitude balloon payload that autonomously maintains a set altitude for days of flight by venting helium gas and dropping ballast. If you are interested in MechE, EE, CS, Physics, or even MatSci or ChemE, there's a place for you on the ValBal team!
*MechE -- '''Lead: Paige Brown'''
*MechE -- '''Lead: Paige Brown'''
ValBal's current design is a 3 part 3D printed nylon structure that uses motors to vent helium gas directly from the balloon neck, cut down the payload in the event of an emergency, and turn a wheel to dispense bb pellets as ballast from a lower compartment. The structure supports, at its heart, the avionics, which powers and control the motors and sensors. Contact {{slack-user|paigebrown}} if you're interested in:
ValBal's current design is a 3 part 3D printed nylon structure that uses motors to vent helium gas directly from the balloon neck, cut down the payload in the event of an emergency, and turn a wheel to dispense bb pellets as ballast from a lower compartment. The structure supports, at its heart, the avionics, which powers and control the motors and sensors. Contact {{slack-user|paigebrown}} if you're interested in:
*Computer Aided Design (CAD) in SolidWorks
*3D printing
*Messing with dry ice
*Laser cutting
*Random jank manufacturing tricks
*and everything else that goes into making ValBal mechanics run smoothly
*EE -- '''Lead: Aria Tedjarati'''
*EE -- '''Lead: Aria Tedjarati'''
*MatSci/ChemE -- '''Lead: Paige Brown'''
*MatSci/ChemE -- '''Lead: Paige Brown'''
ValBal has a '''fatal problem''': latex balloons are quickly weakened by UV radiation and ozone at high altitudes, leading to mission ending failure in just a few days. If this sounds like an interesting problem to you, and you want to be an integral part of helping us circumnavigate the world someday, come help us figure out how to strengthen or alter the latex balloon with s c i e n c e. Contact {{slack-user|paigebrown}} if you're interested!
ValBal has a '''fatal problem''': latex balloons are quickly weakened by UV radiation and ozone at high altitudes, leading to mission ending failure in just a few days. If this sounds like an interesting problem to you, and you want to be an integral part of helping us circumnavigate the world someday, come help us figure out how to strengthen or alter the latex balloon with s c i e n c e. Contact {{slack-user|paigebrown}} if you're interested!
= Rockets =
= Rockets =