Status Update
We have been very busy with non Project Redirect work the during the last two weeks and have been unable to spend any time on the project. We hope to have more time in the coming weeks.
We have been very busy with non Project Redirect work the during the last two weeks and have been unable to spend any time on the project. We hope to have more time in the coming weeks.
When we flew the FTS (Flight Test System) for the first time, we recorded the flight from the ground. While this was sufficient for recording that flight, we need more cameras to record footage from different view points during the next test. This footage is necessary to gauge the performance of the system that is being…
After our most recent FTS (Flight Test System) test flight it became apparent that a new method of attaching payloads to the FTS was needed. Originally, payloads were attached to the FTS via the drop system which was mounted below the FTS, but with the removal of the drop system from the FTS we were…
In preparation for our next flight, we spent this week working on the second generation parachute system. The second generation parachute system for the test payload will use four parachutes, two mains and two pilots (more about the parachutes here). The pilot chutes attach to the main chutes and will inflate with air more quickly,…
The original design of the parachute system used ballistic deployment. This meant the system would use springs, CO2, or pyrotechnics to force the chute from the tube it was stored in. The main advantage of a ballistic parachute system is that the significant speed of the parachute after launch, decreases deployment time of the parachute….
During the past few weeks we have been working on the camera system, one of the many components of the test payload. Originally, we planned to have the camera software completed by October 20th. Unfortunately, we repeatedly ran into errors and bugs, some of these were resolved in a few minutes, while others took days…
For the first time since the catastrophic crash that destroyed the first generation Parachute System Control Computer (PSCC-1), we returned to the test site. As the PSCC-2 had been extensively tested on the ground, the next step was to perform a flight test that would subject it to an environment very similar to the one…