In the past few weeks we have been focusing on finishing the assembly of the parachute segment. With the internal module complete, we moved on to the outer shell. This shell will be made from a large cardboard like tube and will protect the internal components from damage. It will also provide a mounting point…
Now that we have decided on the building materials for the GTP (Guidance Test Payload), we can start assembling it. The Gen 2 GTP will be made up of two segments; the parachute segment and below it, the electronics segment. Each segment has two parts; the outer shell and inside it, the module. The outer…
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.
A few weeks ago the parachute system underwent it’s first flight test. It’s flawless performance during this test marked the end of the development of the Project Redirect parachute system. We have now begun development of the guidance system. While there are many components that will make up the guidance system, the first step is…
After the successful test of the Gen 1-P, we were close to finally testing the parachute system in flight. But first, we needed to collect some performance data on the FTS without the parachute system. During this flight test, we discovered that both the drop and camera systems were nonfunctional. The drop system was easily…
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….
Months ago, when we began designing the parachute system, we decided to use springs to deploy the chutes. We chose springs because they are reusable and simple. We planned to spend no more then a month working on the parachute. However, after hundreds of hours of planning, designing, printing, testing, and redesigning, the spring powered…
The spring powered parachute system has been fraught with problems, ranging from spring power issues to a nonfunctional release mechanism. A month ago, we had to decide if we wanted to continue with a spring powered system or switch to a new power method. We decided that sticking with the spring system was the best…
