Small Satellites for Secondary Students

Kevin JohnSonoma State University

Education and Public Outreach Group

This work has been supported by NASA Grant NNX12AB97G

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David

Lauryn

SSU E/PO group* *

*

What do we do?• The mission of the SSU E/PO group is to develop

exciting formal and informal educational materials to inspire students in grades 5-14 to pursue STEM careers, to train teachers nation-wide in the classroom use of these materials, and to enhance science literacy for the general public.

• The S4 project is our newest curriculum development project, in partnership with AeroPAC, Endeavour Institute and NASA Dryden’s Aero Institute

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Project Schedule• 2012-2013 Develop prototype payload

hardware, educator guide draft and test flights• July 8-13, 2013: Week-long teacher training

with NASA Dryden, including balloon tests and launch with ROC in Lucerne Dry Lakebed

• Academic year 2013/14: Teachers build payloads with their students

• Spring 2014: Student launches with local clubs

Standard payload design

Pressure and Temperature

Accelerometer

GPS

Humidity WiFi

Power Connection

SD Data Logger

Arduino

Servo

Top View Bottom View

Magnetometer

Snow Ranch April 2012

Initial tests of GPS in payload on Kevin Zack’s rocket

ARLISS/XPRS September 2012

• Payload tests included WiFi connectivity to 3000 feet - first use of 802.11g WiFi for telemetry

• AeroPAC’s Virtual Classroom used to transmit video Internet “lesson” to teachers and participants

Virtual Classroom Van

Ken Biba explains HPR

to Lynn Cominsky on

the playa

Using the Virtual Classroom

Simplified Design for Balloon Flights

Balloon Fest 2012 payload testsAntenna configuration tested during Balloon Fest in October 2012 at Allen Hancock College

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Signal Strength vs. Altitude

ParallelPerpendicular

Distance Away From Station (m)

Sign

al S

tren

gth

(dbm

)

Balloon Fest 2013 payload test41384.375 41384.38 41384.385 41384.39 41384.395 41384.4

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Signal

Signal

Next steps

• >mid-March: Educator guide to be reviewed by partners and external evaluators

• April 3 Snow Ranch: final prototype tests for rocket payload

• April 20 Balloon Fest (Paso Robles): Internet “lesson” about ballooning to be developed and broadcast

• May – June: Revise Educator Guide• July: teacher training and launch with ROC

For more information:

• http://epo.sonoma.edu/s4

• To see the videos from ARLISS: http://epo.sonoma.edu/s4/?p=34