Monthly Archives: December 2008
Cold plate.
Cold plate.
The rectangular slab is a ‘cold plate’. The plate is used to sink heat that is applied to a hot source during vacuum tests. Conduction and capacitance are measured during heat flow through parts that are placed between the hot and cold.
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| From AstroboticBlogPhotos |
Layered chassis mold
Layered chassis mold
The robot’s chassis mold must exhibit precise geometry over a large volume, which is a challenge. It is impractical for us to handle or machine one monolithic block of metal this size. One approach is to layer precisely-machined sections to achieve the intended result.
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| From AstroboticBlogPhotos |
Optimization of composite material
Wired temp sensors
Finite element analysis is used to optimize composite material details
like shell thickness and fiber orientation. Loading conditions include
acoustic, thrust and shaking from launch vehicle and rocket motors.
These images correspond to loading conditions and fiber orientation within the composite material.
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| From AstroboticBlogPhotos |
Thermal strap test
Wired temp sensors
Composite thermal straps conduct heat from internal hot-spots to the robot’s radiator. An ‘L’-shaped strap was pre-tested in atmosphere by heating one end and observing the resulting temperatures. The test succeeded. The next step is vacuum testing.
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| From AstroboticBlogPhotos |
Wired temp sensors
Wired temp sensors
Small temperature sensors with even smaller wires report temperature readings that result from thermal-vacuum testing.
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| From AstroboticBlogPhotos |
Astrobotic to License Access to Lunar Data Library
Astrobotic will execute robotic lunar missions to collect exclusive data needed by space agencies and aerospace firms planning Moon expeditions. Accurate lunar surface data are key to cutting costs, accelerating schedules and enhancing safety. Planners need a wide variety of information collected on the surface to enhance and confirm the less-detailed orbital observations of today’s… {read more}
