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Human Achievements. Cave man discovers fire Long time ago First automobile Late 1800’s First Airplane 1911 Broke the sound barrier 1947. Space Travel. First went into space – 1957 Sputnik Man on the Moon – 1967 Saturn V 1967-1975 Space Shuttle. Space Shuttle
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Human Achievements • Cave man discovers fire • Long time ago • First automobile • Late 1800’s • First Airplane • 1911 • Broke the sound barrier • 1947
Space Travel • First went into space – 1957 • Sputnik • Man on the Moon – 1967 • Saturn V 1967-1975 • Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle • First Reusable launch vehicle • $450 Million per mission launch • $22,000 per kg
Possible Solutions • Rail guns • New Shuttle • Orion • Rocket Plane • Spaceship One • Permanent blimp • Horizontal ascender • Space Pier • Space Elevator
SPACE ELEVATOR • Estimated Costs • $1.48 per kg • Technology already exists • Ground Station • Tether • Space Station • Beam Source • Climber
Elevator Components Ground Station Tether Beam Source Space Station Climber
Ground Station • Mobile • Similar to oil platform • Location? • Off the coast of South America/Mexico • Equator • Function as an anchor for the tether
Tether • Carbon Nanotubes • Has 26,000 ksi tensile strength • Steel – 798 ksi
Space Station • Large Mass • Geosynchronous orbit • Start small and send stuff up • Increasing mass
Beam Source • Laser • BIG • To be determined by mass of climber • Types • Chemical • Solid state • Gas • Dye • Semi-conductor
Climber • 100 mph • Carry heavy payloads • Cheap • $1.48 per kg
Potential Problems • Cable Strength • Space junk • Meteors • Failure Cascade • Corrosion • Material Defects • Weather • Vibrational harmonics • Van Allen belts (radiation exposure)
2008 Competition • Power beaming options • Laser • Ascent/tether height • 1000 m • Tether geometry • 3/16” round cable • Average ascent velocity • ≥ 5 m/s
What are we doing? • Ground Station Components • Climbing Mechanism
Laser Control • All teams will use the TrumpF TruDisk 8002 High Powered Laser for Transmission • Track length is 1 km • Everything else; TBD
Tracking System (Stage 1) Design a receiving unit enables basic feedback of laser pointer location
2. (Stage 2) Transmit display data wirelessly to remote PC 3. (Stage 3) Mount laser to a 2-axis gimbal assembly; Use real time data acquired by a PC to track receiving unit and correct for azimuth and pitch
Prototype • Parts • Photo-transistors • CPLD • Laser • Components – IC’s, resistors, caps, LED’s, etc. • Circuits (bread board) • Analog-Digital • Proto-board Layout
Mechanical Climber • Simple and adaptable • For competition changes • Roller mechanism to climb cable • Hope to show it off at expo
Future Senior Design Teams • Power Converting/Receiving • Laser/optical control • Programming of Laser • Photovoltaic Supporting Structure