Featherweight Tracker technology helps NASA’s LOFTID mission succeed

[Adrian A]

A quick update from my phone based on NASA’s video coverage. I’m so excited and happy that NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) mission is a success so far. Deep Space Systems licensed Featherweight Altimeters tracker technology for use in the Ejectable Data Return capsules that went into space early this morning and landed off the coast of Hawaii. The EDR, about the size of a softball, recorded critical flight data and videos from the mission, and was ejected from about 50,000 feet above the ocean. LoRa radios and microcontrollers like those used in Featherweight trackers, along with Featherweight embedded software, sent down real-time data to Featherweight ground stations on board the recovery ship. High-altitude weather balloons were also launched from the ship to relay data from over the horizon using Featherweight “lost rocket” relay feature. On the NASA broadcast they said that they received location data packets from the EDR. I’m excited to learn more how it all went from the rest of the NASA team over the coming days.

 

[Steve Shannon]

A quick update from my phone based on NASA’s video coverage. I’m so excited and happy that NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) mission is a success so far. Deep Space Systems licensed Featherweight Altimeters tracker technology for use in the Ejectable Data Return capsules that went into space early this morning and landed off the coast of Hawaii. The EDR, about the size of a softball, recorded critical flight data and videos from the mission, and was ejected from about 50,000 feet above the ocean. LoRa radios and microcontrollers like those used in Featherweight trackers, along with Featherweight embedded software, sent down real-time data to Featherweight ground stations on board the recovery ship. High-altitude weather balloons were also launched from the ship to relay data from over the horizon using Featherweight “lost rocket” relay feature. On the NASA broadcast they said that they received location data packets from the EDR. I’m excited to learn more how it all went from the rest of the NASA team over the coming days.

Congratulations! That’s a feather in your cap! Pun intended.

 

[Chad]

A quick update from my phone based on NASA’s video coverage. I’m so excited and happy that NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) mission is a success so far. Deep Space Systems licensed Featherweight Altimeters tracker technology for use in the Ejectable Data Return capsules that went into space early this morning and landed off the coast of Hawaii. The EDR, about the size of a softball, recorded critical flight data and videos from the mission, and was ejected from about 50,000 feet above the ocean. LoRa radios and microcontrollers like those used in Featherweight trackers, along with Featherweight embedded software, sent down real-time data to Featherweight ground stations on board the recovery ship. High-altitude weather balloons were also launched from the ship to relay data from over the horizon using Featherweight “lost rocket” relay feature. On the NASA broadcast they said that they received location data packets from the EDR. I’m excited to learn more how it all went from the rest of the NASA team over the coming days.

that's awesome!

I hope you invoiced them about 3 years salary

 

[manixFan]

Wow, so cool that your tech has crossed over into the realm of NASA and helping them plan for future Mars missions. I'm a bit confused though as to why the small data recorder was ejected and is recovered separately? It seems like it would be a lot easier to just leave it in the Aeroshell. It would be interesting to get some background on that decision.

Congrats on an extreme validation of your design! So looking forward to the Blue Raven.


Tony

 

[Adrian A]

The Ejectable data module is just a small part of the program, but they did a little story about it:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-to-recover-lots-of-data-from-tiny-package-during-tech-demo
You can see the Featherweight GS in the photo. The EDR has the Featherweight tracker as its core, and then we added an Iridium satellite radio modem, an isolated micro-SD card for NASA's data, baro and inertial sensors, a couple of large batteries, and then molded polyurethane foam around it all. The software also started with the Featherweight tracker core, and then made some mods to optimize data transmission during the descent, and added a low-power water landing mode that would wake up a few times per hour during daylight hours to get a GPS fix, transmit its position over Iridium and Lora, and then go back to sleep. This way it could keep operating from the water for 30+ days.

We also took a Featherweight tracker and added a Relay software mode, based on the Featherweight lost rocket feature, that would listen for and re-transmit any EDR packets it received. These trackers were sent up on high-altitude balloons prior to re-entry so that the recovery team could keep getting EDR position updates as it drifted on the ocean, even if it's over the horizon. I tested this feature successfully in a couple of field trips to Monterey Bay a couple of years ago, and verified it could support an 80 Km horizontal range from the EDR to the relay even with the EDR bobbing in the waves.

 

[Adrian A]

Wow, so cool that your tech has crossed over into the realm of NASA and helping them plan for future Mars missions. I'm a bit confused though as to why the small data recorder was ejected and is recovered separately? It seems like it would be a lot easier to just leave it in the Aeroshell. It would be interesting to get some background on that decision.

Congrats on an extreme validation of your design! So looking forward to the Blue Raven.


Tony

On at least one previous inflatable aeroshell flight demonstration, the EV sank before they could recover it, so they got back very little data. So that was the motivation for the ejectable data recorder. They also put an identical unit on board the EV to help locate it. Today they were able to get to it in time, so the EDR wasn't really necessary.

 

[GrouchoDuke]

This is outstanding, Adrian. Huge congrats!

 

[manixFan]

On at least one previous inflatable aeroshell flight demonstration, the EV sank before they could recover it, so they got back very little data. So that was the motivation for the ejectable data recorder. They also put an identical unit on board the EV to help locate it. Today they were able to get to it in time, so the EDR wasn't really necessary.

Thanks for that bit of info, makes sense. FWIW, the New York Times has a great article about the test:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/10/science/nasa-loftid-inflatable-heat-shield.html

Yes, it’s behind a paywall but if you can access it, it’s a good read.


Tony

 

[Dipstick]

Great to see your efforts come through like this! Thanks for sharing.

 

[OverTheTop]

Amazing outcome. The success belies the amount of work you would have had to put in to make this functional. Very well done Adrian!

 

[cwbullet]

Great stuff. Nice to see your further success outside the hobby.