DREAMS24

Launch Date: Saturday, May 2nd, 2015 MISSION COMPLETE!
APRS Data & Analysis Altitude vs Time, Sarina Desai

W4CHS-3 W4CHS-12



Image of the "stack" - dynamics testing is performed to insure rigging is functional and all integrated systems are ready for the dynamics of a high altitude flight.

The 24th mission of the DREAMS program will support the following payloads: Student Experiment. There are increased particle and electromagnetic radiation levels in the mid-stratosphere. This increased radiation is a hazard for life forms and studying shielding techniques is valuable to reduce risk for high altitude or space travelers. This experiment will carry a Geiger-Muller tube that is in the core of two solenoids. Data will be collected throughout the flight while a current is passed through the coils for 15 seconds every 2 minutes. This current will generate a magnetic field that would deflect some charged particles. The levels will be compared to GPS data to look at the correlation between shield effectiveness and altitude.
 * Radiation Shielding Experiment

A very small 1-inch square satellite called a sprite will fly on top of the payload box and will send telemetry to the ground when exposed to sunlight. This satellite will be sent with a group of many of identical small satellites for a future launch. This experiment will verify the com link and telemetry in a near space environment with variable sunlight to simulate a slow tumble. Ground radio operators will record the telemetry data to be analyzed.
 * [|Kicksat] Sprite communication experiment

Student Experiment. NASA has been flying sensitive and reliable fluxgate magnetometers since before the time of the Voyager spacecraft. Those devices used a material called Permalloy in the magnetic cores that were very efficient at being magnetized and thus allowed a time varying technique of applying currents and taking differences to make measurements of small changes in magnetic field. The actual metal material and the technique to prepare it have been lost and NASA needs a new source of magnetic cores for its fluxgate magnetometer. The Columbus Space Program is proposing to fly a new metallic glass core on a Cubesat to get diagnostic data in orbit and increase the technology readiness level of this new core material. This balloon flight is a test of a 1-axis version of what will become a 3-axis version to fly in a Cubesat.
 * Fluxgate Magnetometer with metallic glass core


 * AFLAC Duck. The duck will be taking a trip to nearly 100,000 feet to be captured by the imaging systems for posterity. Pictures coming soon.


 * [|Captivology by Ben Parr]. Hardcover copy of Ben's new book will experience the edge of space captured by 16MP images from the [|Pentax WG-4 GPS] taking images every 10 seconds for the entire flight.

Launch Location: TBD

Weather & Mission Updates
Surface weather currently shows clear skies with low winds. Balloon path is shown below - red is launch and green is impact (updated 4/27) Flight Path Prediction

[|Blue SPOT-2]

Schedule:

__Week of March 30__ Payload Integration __Week of April 6__ Flight Systems Testing __Week of April 27__ Flight Prep
 * Flight Readiness Review**, //Thursday 4/30 5:30pm-6:30pm, Marshall Middle School//