When we send our Weather balloon up, my group also wants to send pancakes with it, as well as bring it back down in one piece. We want to see if there will be any physical change to the pancakes when it comes back. We believe that placing the pancakes on acrylic glass, levitated on the sides of the package will keep it stable enough, as long as they are stuck to the glass with glue. Above: Our design before changing our subject to send up Our package design is made from a large styrofoam box. Inside, we put heat pads (handwarmers), the gps, batteries, a couple GoPros and more. On the outside are where the pancakes will be suspended on the glass. We are keeping it warm and safe inside using the heat pads and layering it with styrofoam between the electronics. For our suspension system we are using a fish swivel attached to paracords that are attached to the box. This way when the balloon spins the bottom box will be more stable for the footage. Since it is a box, the sides may catch on the wind and spin it around since it is a flat surface, so we just hope to reduce the amount of spinning. The rope is also connected to the parachute, so when our weather ballon bursts the package will stay safe.
Before we could launch we have to run tests on our package to make sure things stay safe and in place. We couldn't use the shake machine, so Phillip shook the package by hand very hard and everything ended up fine. Another thing we had to do before launching, is setting a date for the launch to make sure the weather won't carry the package too far or in an area we can't retrieve it. The weeks we wanted to launch kept on saying it would send the balloon to the ocean or to Mexico, so we continuesly had to change the date. Finally we found a date that would have to work, since the semester and project was almost over. The main reason we wanted to send up pancakes, is for us to make Space Pancakes. Other then that, we also want to know if they might get destroyed, stay in one piece, or anything else that could happen. Our hypothesis is it will make it to space but the radiation and weather will destroy it on the way down.
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Our film is of a baby bird (played by Miles Stanton) who doesn't know how to fly. His goal is to one day fly as high as a plane, so he has an idea on climbing the highest mountain he can find, and will jump off to see if he can fly like a plane. In the air he loses all control and spins out and lands with a thump. His first flight didn't go so well, but he still has hope in himself.
We chose this plot because we wanted something light-hearted and I had immediately thought of a bird learning how to fly, I didn't want to over think the film so that's why we decided to go with the first idea. This film is a great representative to show that when things don't go exactly how you first planned, things are still okay. There is always new things to learn, and ways to improve. Our Launch was a success. It more or less went straight up, and the recovery wasn't bad either. Although our parachute didn't come out right away, it was still in time to not break on the floor. My partners and I felt that we had to research what specifically to do so we didn't screw anything up, because I felt as if the teachers just said "go" to us and I know my group did not feel comfortable with such little direction. If we had to re-do it, I would say to get everything done right away so we don't have to stress about it the whole time. Also taking pictures as we go and immediately putting them up on the blog because we lost most of our pictures and now we don't have all the pictures up required because we had already launched. I am proud of my contribution to the rocket, but I also feel as though there is always something we all could have done more. |
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December 2016
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