Blog #1

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AIAA-UH’s competitive rocket team, Space City Rocketry (SCR), has used a GoPro Hero5 Session camera to record internal payload footage in each of their past rockets. The payload is a section of the rocket in which a scientific experiment is conducted throughout flight. The GoPro is necessary in order to gain visual data throughout flight on the performance of the science experiment conducted within the rocket. An example of a previous experiment was studying the effects of high g-forces on the reproductive behaviors of E. Coli. This experiment was used to further research regarding astronauts’ gastrointestinal health. Due to the team launching in hot environments, previous rockets’ (Prometheus, Oberon, and Zenith) payloads’ GoPros have overheated, causing its battery to fail before launch and consequently not record any visual data. It should be noted that once the rocket is fully assembled, the entire payload can longer be accessed. The GoPro’s battery life is proven to be shortened at high temperatures as noted by the manufacturer and through SCR’s experience. With the plans to build a brand-new rocket this year, Shasta VI, SCR would like a solution to keep the GoPro operating for a longer period of time at the high temperatures experienced at competition (in Las Cruces, New Mexico).


Figure 1


Figure 1 shows the CAD of the structure holding the GoPro inside the payload. The top segment is where the GoPro is secured, and the lower segments are for the magnifying lens. The design almost completely enveloped the GoPro. This made it easier for the GoPro to overheat since it did not allow any room for a cooling mechanism.


Figure 2


​​​​Figure 2 is an image of Zenith’s payload housing. This structure would be placed inside the payload bay (a 12-inch long fiberglass tube). Note that the GoPro is housed in the 3D-printed red casing. This design does not allow for proper ventilation and led to the GoPro overheating.


Figure 3


Figure 3 displays Zenith’s interior layout. Note that the payload bay, once Zenith is fully assembled, is completely encapsulated with no external access. This further demonstrates the need for the cooling system to be in operation for multiple hours.

Figure 4


Figure 4 displays how the payload housing in Figures 1 and 2 fits into the airframe from a top-down view. The blue x’s mark the space that is available to the team to fit the cooling system.


As the team works to develop designs for a cooling system inside of the payload bay, information on the exact layout and dimensions of the payload is still to be determined by SCR. The team is primarily considering a thermoelectric (Peltier) cooling system to solve the problem, but with the current lack of information other ideas are being considered. Other ideas being considered include removing GoPro’s internal battery and cooling its internal components with a small fan and researching the impact of heat sinks, coatings, and materials.



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