Author: Administrator

When we looked at the data for MHD generator test 27 all we saw were a file full of zeros. That was our first run with a composite motor.  Was it the non conductive coating that the motor deposited on the electrodes? Did the blown out fragments of copper short across the electrodes? Is the difference in motor chemistry such that the current is lower than we can detect?    One thing we know when faced with too many unknowns, it’s time to get methodical.

For a start we’ve going to test two small motors, one black power and one composite on the same unit. We’re going to look at electrode voltage instead of current to put it in a better range for the data sampling.

Saturday we made a new set of copper electrode plates, cleaned up the mini-MHD generator and pressed it back into service.  We got the first firing, the small black powder motor, completed.

Plan A was to install a ballistic parachute from BRS. However after being back ordered for over 11 months they said they won’t allow an installation on a Sky Pup. I wished they would have mentioned that 11 months earlier when we paid for it and sent them a full set of the installation plans for the Sky Pup. They made vague noises about mounting on an all foam airplane. At least we got the money back.   On to plan B. We got a Astir 62 parachute made by Aile DE K of Switzerland. It was intended to be a reserve parachute for a Tandem Paraglider.  We’ve added a spring deployed drogue and we’ll run the rip cord down to a handle in the cockpit. The next step is to open up the top of the Pup and build a box and hard mount. The entire rig weights fifteen pounds and moves the CG back a quarter inch.

We want to install a similar system for the crew module. Normally it will land with the Dark Sky Station, however in an emergency we want to be able to separate and come down by chute. The experience installing the parachute on the Pup will really help us down the road.

A sewer line failed under the concrete in the back shop today. Water came up through the cracks in the floor and burst through a old capped off sink drain pipe. I won’t go into further detail, because, well, yuck.

There’s a crew of repair men and plumbers working on it all. All our gear is up off the floor so we only lost some sheet wood and foam stock. Tomorrow they are going to cut through the floor and rework it all. On the plus side we got a practical use of the sand bags.  Space, the adventure continues…

The moment after lift off. This was in 2001.

In addition to all the big projects there are a shelves full of little ones. These are also critical to the program just not as exciting on the ones that fly high or make smoke and noise.

This is the carbon reel. It lowers rocket launch boxes down 600 feet below Tandems and balloon sets. It allows the rocket to be launch 2 degrees off vertical and still miss the balloons.

Saturday night we fired MHD generator test number 27. This was the our first with a composite motor, an Econjet F-20.

We incorporated the structural lessons from test 26m segmented top plate and forward electrode plate retention wires. The motor was double of thrust from test 26. We were anxious to see if it would all hold together. We need it to be able to handle a “J” class motor to be used on the desktop quad engine.  The structure held find but the cathode was completely eaten through. The composite motor also left a hard non conducting coating on the electrodes.

The firing went well, but the test failed. Just before the end of the run the datalogger failed. Not a bit recorded. Grrrrrrr. Time for new dataloggers.

We did get some good info on the structural modification. The segmented plate showed no cracking at all. The baked epoxy plate had the epoxy cut out right along the flow line then cracked clean through. The detachable main unit stayed put during the firing.

Parts are curing in the oven for MHD generator test number 26. There are several changes in the structure of the unit. The base plate is made of nine segments instead of a single  ceramic plate. This is an attempt to avoid thermal cracking by allowing expansion. The upper plate is porcelain coated with two baked on epoxy layers. The epoxy will ablate and throw some of the heat out. In the new design the ceramic core of the unit can now be removed from the motor mount backbone. This will make the unit a lot easier to repair. The test before was a breakthrough for stable power output and measurement. That test was with a “C” motor. This test will be with an “E”, 4X the thrust.

We’re about an hour from the firing.

This was Away 24 back in 2004.

This winter has reminded me of the Away 5 mission. This was back in January 2000.