High Altitude Student Payload (HASP)
WhenBuffsFly: To the Moon shall advance towards the lunar phase of the GLEE mission by testing the new version of the LunaSat as well as the communication system that we plan to use on the Moon. We will test sensor operation and mode switching capability, thermal protection efficacy, RF communication and power system functionality in a near-space environment, launching from Ft. Sumner, New Mexico as part of the High Altitude Student Payload platform.
Since our last flight on the 2023 HASP platform, we have improved the design of the LunaSats by rewiring the PCB and opting for sensors with increased performance, as well as adding new solar panels and RF antennas. The updated version of the LunaSat, V6.1, will also include an EEPROM which will serve as onboard memory storage. Our next flight will test the communication between the Raspberry Pi 4, LunaSats, and LoRa gateway which will serve as a prototype and preliminary testing for our lunar communication network.
With the results of the 2024 HASP, we plan to further improve the design of the LunaSats and learn more about our communication subsystem and how to communicate effectively between our devices and the larger lunar network, as well as observe how thermal coating affects the operation of LunaSats and the thermal regulation of electrical components.
