PongSats

InfoDabble > Family > PongSats
Jump to: navigation, search
Away 32 at the edge of space. The JP Aerospace team launched two platforms, Away 32 and Away 33, from the Nevada desert on Saturday, June 2, 2007. Away 32 was the first in the air. It reached 94,000 feet with a fast climb rate of 1,300 feet per minute. See: Away 33 High Altitude Mission video
Away 32 at the edge of space. The JP Aerospace team launched two platforms, Away 32 and Away 33, from the Nevada desert on Saturday, June 2, 2007. Away 32 was the first in the air. It reached 94,000 feet with a fast climb rate of 1,300 feet per minute. See: Away 33 High Altitude Mission video
Away 33 PongSats.
Away 33 PongSats.
Away 33 in the air.
Away 33 in the air.

PongSat ping pong ball ‘satellites’ are flown to the edge of space by balloon or launched in sounding rockets. PongSats can be as simple or complex as you want them to be: comparing how high a ball bounces before and after being exposed to vacuum; see if exposure to cosmic rays affects the growth of seeds; see if a marshmallow puffs up in the vacuum of near space. Several small inexpensive computers and other electronic can fit inside a PongSat to create a wide range of experiments. Whether or an entire sophisticated satellite in miniature, PongSat can create motivation, drive and passion in the classroom. PongSats are flown at no cost to the student or school.

Links:

Videos:

A PongSat is an experiment that can fit inside of a ping pong ball.

Typical flight profile (Away 33 mission)
Typical flight profile (Away 33 mission)

"Anyone can fly a PongSat. We’ve had students, NASA engineers, teachers, ranchers and firefighters, all running their own space programs through PongSat. We don’t restrict who can fly and we don’t judge the experiment. [1]

"Sometimes a PongSat is made by an individual and sometimes whole groups work on just one. We have one series of PongSats that had sixteen experiments in each one. Each experiment was put together by a group of ten students.

"People from all over the world send them to us. We fly them as ‘ride alongs’ on the next mission. We then send them back along with video from the mission and all the data from the flight.

"You never know where the next great idea will come from.

"A group of third graders flew PongSats full of M&Ms. Now you won’t think that would have any value. Yet, the students noticed that the M&Ms were rough after the flight. The surface of the M&Ms outgassed in the near vacuum at the edge of space. The students not only learned about outgassing, but they got to feel the result directly. How many third graders do you know have an intuitive feel for a sophisticated space phenomenon? It was a wonderful and completely unexpected result.

"The majority of experiments are very simple. A marshmallow that expands in vacuum then freeze dries or plant seeds that get cosmic ray damage that are then grown in dixie cups on classroom window sills.

"We’ve been getting more and more complex experiments. On our last mission we had six PongSats that had checklists. We’ve flown some advanced biological experiments from a college in Belgium and some very sensitive cosmic ray counters. On board computers and sensors are becoming more and more popular in the PongSats. Two PongSats had solar cells powering them."

Notes from the PongSat User's Guide[2]

[edit] Experiment Ideas

The PongSat will be exposed to an environment that nearly simulates that found in space:

  • Temperature down to 180 below zero.
  • At peak altitude near vacuum conditions exist.
  • Cosmic rays will occasionally strike at 100,000 feet.

What can you do inside something as small ping pong ball? Plenty!! Here are just a few ideas:

  • Plant seeds: Compare the growth of plants grown from seeds flown at the edge of space with those left behind.
  • Would a bubble wrap bubble pop? Is the drop in pressure enough to do the job?
  • Small electronics
  • Film cosmic ray experiment. Undeveloped camera film will often containwhite streaks when developed after be exposed to cosmic rays at high altitude.
  • Wet sponge. Would the water in a wet sponge boil off due to the lack of pressure.
  • Two PongSats, one beeps and the other listens. Sound can be used to determine altitude.
  • Put a mini-marshmallow in and see it expand.
  • Get two matching inexpensive digital clocks (the type found in dollar store wrist watches). Put one watch in the pong sat. Use the other as a control. After the flight compare the time on clocks. See if the cold temperature affected the clock.
  • Stamp computer controlled wind flow measurement.
  • Paper that changes color with temperature.
  • Pong-Cam
  • Solar power battery charging. Charge a small battery with a small solar panel.
  • Is an MP3 strip affected by the cosmic ray strikes at 100,000 feet?
  • Temperature Measurement
  • Pressure Measurement
  • Before and after bounce test
Delays
Missions that carry PongSats can be delayed for a variety of reasons. The biggest cause of delay is usually the weather. Keep in mind potential delays. Delays can especially impact school PongSat program that are close to the end of a school year.
Failed Missions or the Loss of PongSats
So far no PongSat has every been lost, however the possibility exists with every mission. Risk is a part of every space program. Failure can range from the crash of a rocket, to failure to reach the desired altitude on balloon, to a package flying 2000 miles out over the Pacific ocean. If a mission has failed every effort will be made to fly the participants' new PongSats as soon as possible.
Shipping
We have found that during shipping the PongSats to JP Aerospace PongSats will experience more hardships than found in space travel. Please pack your PongSats securely.
After the Flight
The PongSats will be returned to the participants by mail. Detailed information about the flight will be included. Each participant will receive a “Been There” certificate to show they traveled to the edge of space.
Miscellaneous PongSat traditions
  • All participants should sign their PongSat.
  • PongSat teams can create ‘mission patch’ designs for their flight. These can be displayed on the side of the launch vehicle.
  • PongSat Tee Shirts will be available for sale on the PongSat.com website.

[edit] PongSat Requirements

  • No insects or other animals.
  • Anything that sticks out of a PongSat must be preapproved.
  • No volatile chemicals.
  • No combustion
  • No heavier than 3 oz
  • Any device the emits a radio signal must be preapproved.
  • Any liquids must be carefully contained.

There are many ways of cutting a ping pong ball in half. However, some ways are easier then others. We have found the using a knife results in too many cut fingers.

  1. Find the seam. This is where the halves of the ball were originally glued together.
  2. Use a felt tip marker and place a dot on the seam (this will be yourreference to put the ball back together).
  3. Using a fine hack saw blade slowly saw around the line.
  4. Two passes around the seam should cut through the ball.

A single wrap of clear tape is sufficient to hold the ball together for the flight.

[edit] Getting started

  1. Go to the website and sign up. Signing up consists of send JPA an e-mail, (jpowell@jpaerospace.com) fax or letter saying how many PongSats they want to fly and about when they want to fly them.
  2. We then manifest the PongSats on a mission and assign each PongSat an ID number.
  3. The participant sends their PongSat to JPA at least ten days before the mission with the ID number written on the side. (The ID numbers are very important: hundreds of ping pong balls all start to look the same after a while.)

References

  1. ↑ Ascending into space: John Powell talks about JP Aerospace
  2. ↑ PongSat Users Guide (PDF)
Retrieved from "http://www.ehartwell.com/InfoDabble/PongSats"