New payload bus

The new payload bus will be based on a multi-level tower design made from laser cut plastic disks and carbon rods used to support the structure.

Currently, the plan is to encase the frame in Styrofoam tortilla warmers, which will serve both as isolation at altitude as well as destructible landing padding.

TODO: add spacebridge logo to all images.

components of payload

APRS Data modem:website

Android G1 Phone:

Video Camera:

Video Transmitter:

Canon Still Camera: Canon Powershot SD4500 IS

Tortilla Warmer:

Proposed miniature assembly:

Onno Ring

The payload design depends on plastic planar structures to act as mount points for all payload components, as well as load-bearing points for the balloon and parachute.

To facilitate this design, Onno has designed a revolutionary new geometric shape which has been estimated to be between 100x and over 9000x stronger, lighter, and cooler than an ordinary disk of the same material and approximate size.

Onno Ring:

Balloon load bearing ring:

Standard mounting plate for cameras: Please note, this does not use the Onno ring, so it is the weakest part of the design, by approximately 900000%.

Power Supply

In the past, most equipment on the payload has been individually powered by it's own battery. This strategy has been successful in removing power as a possible single point of failure, but it has cost weight in the design. If we can design a power system which would keep critical components running while shutting down less critical systems, then the whole system should be able to run off of a single battery.

The first problem with this plan is that most of the components run off of different, incompatible voltages. To solve this, switching voltage regulators should be used to maximize efficiency.

Current design:

This design still requires cutoffs for non-critical systems, as well as battery monitoring. This system will not be ready for the next launch.

Regulators used: TPS54140DGQ LT1616