| Please explain the purpose of operation: |
Using an alternate antenna with a MaxStream 9XTEND 900 MHz frequency hopping spread spectrum RF data modem in support of an inter-collegiate rocket launch competition.
Engineering students from the Indiana Institute of Technology (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, Florida) are designing and building an instrument package and two-stage rocket that is entered in an inter-collegiate competition with other schools to be the first student built rocket to reach outer space (specifically, an altitude of at least 62.5 miles). The performance goals for the rocket are significant (75 miles, mach 5.0, 20 Gs and an
8 RPS spin rate as mentioned previously). The instrument package contains a three axis accelerometer used to measure flight dynamics, a spin rate sensor package, and an onboard GPS receiver that will measure the rockets position and velocity as a function of time throughout the rocket assent and decent. (The rocket flight will be sub-orbital, no part of it will attain orbit). The intent is to telemeter the data (flight dynamics, spin rate and the GPS derived position and velocity information) back to a ground station collocated at the launch site using the MaxStream 900 MHz modem.
Prior practice by others have demonstrated that the use of ISM band frequency hopping modems perform well in the amateur rocket telemetry application, and the use of a ready made modem eliminates the need for the student team to have to design and fabricate that part of their system.
The launch will be from the U.S. Air Force Cape Canaveral Air Force Station under the auspices of a joint NASA/Air Force launch and safety management team located at that facility. The rocket is planned to attain an altitude of 75 miles and a down range distance of about 20 miles east of the launch point at splash down in the ocean during the 15 minute sub-orbital flight. The GPS derived position and altitude data solution produced by the on-board GPS receiver (telemetered down along with the flight dynamics data) will be used to determine altitude at apogee, and will be used to locate the instrument package location at splashdown. The power supply for the package will have a capacity for a maximum of one hour of operation after which point the batteries will be depleted.
Because the launch will utilize Cape Canaveral Air Force Station facilities, it is subservient to the requirements of other launch operations at the Cape, and therefore its exact date is subject to the primary launch operations that occur there. Present plans are for a 31 March 2005 launch with 1 April 2005 as the back-up date. Since we realize that the student launch can easily be bumped by other higher priority operations, we are requesting that the STA be approved between the dates of 31 March 2005 and 1 May 2005. |