h1. Meeting 1 - Initial Questions: Jun 15, 2012 h2. Attending Mach 30: J., Jeremy Adler: Ken h2. Time Start: 1000 CDT End: XXXX h2. Agenda * Introductions * Orientation * Initial Questions h2. Discussion/Work * Introductions ** went around the room and did introductions * Orientation ** Ground Rules *** ** "Over all process":https://opendesignengine.net/boards/4/topics/8?r=32#message-32 *** Initial Questions *** Requirements (to be done by Mach 30 tonight) *** Block Diagram *** Detailed design *** Design Review * Initial Questions ** Q1. Why are we making this? *** Ken - Big picture goal was to build up to developing CubeSats. Seemed like a reasonable first step. Adler received help from the guy who literally "wrote the book":http://www.parallax.com/tabid/567/Default.aspx on High Altitude Balloons. Has the added benefit of providing educational opportunities to practice near space missions with students and enthusiasts. Adler also wants to inspire the community to "take back space exploration" - use amateur efforts to move space exploration forward. *** Jeremy - ditto *** J - ditto ** Q2. Who is this for? *** Ken - Schools (and School Clubs), students, (getting more people involved is better), Boy Scouts, and now Makers and Maker Spaces. The first step is to provide payload opportunities, but the goal is to get groups the experience to be able to fly their own missions. *** J - wants to echo support for including Makers and Maker Spaces in the list of who this is for. *** Ken - Plugging into schools is a natural fit for Adler because they have a large education department and the ties to the educational community that come with that. Ken is very excited to have the opportunity to share Far Horizons with the Maker community. ** Q3. How will this be used? *** J - so this question is really, what do you do with it once you have one of these balloons? *** Ken - The Near Space Environment is like dipping your toes in the space environment (very low pressure, higher radiation exposure, low temperatures). This creates engineering challenges for designing and operating payloads. *** J - The HAB provides a platform to carry scientific and engineering payloads to a Near Space Environment for a duration on the order of a couple of hours. *** Ken - Payloads are limited to 6 lbs (and the system is limited to 12 lbs) for flights without FAA notice requirements. ** Q4. What features does it need to have (now)? *** Ken - Has to operate safely in flight; operations have to be flexible (ability to adjust payloads to meet weight requirements, adjust to flight conditions - aka winds, or setting up the launch); needs to be trackable, needs to provide for a soft landing, has to be able to carry the payloads (max system weight of 12 lbs, individual payloads no more than 6 lbs) to approximately 90kft-100kft ** Q5. What features does it need to have (later)? *** Ken - wish list **** Controlled descent system (guided landings using parafoil kite to either hit or avoid landing sites) **** Live two-way telemetry (or command & control) and get live experiment and operations data **** Stabilized platform system (Adler is making progress on this one) **** Alternative balloon configurations (zero-pressure, super-pressure balloons) **** Alternate lift gasses (Adler uses helium right now) ** Q6. What are the legacy requirements? ** Q7. Who's going to build this? ** Q8. How many do we want to make? ** Q9. What is the budget? ** Q10. What is the timeline? ** Q11. What waste products will be produced by the manufacture and/or operation of this?