Overview

“BIG BLUE is a workforce development project currently in its fifth year at the University of Kentucky (UK).This unique multi-university, multidisciplinary project is providing students with opportunities to learn about and to prepare for aerospace engineering careers. BIG BLUE is a comprehensive aerospace project experience to design, build and conduct a complex, high altitude experiment to verify the feasibility of inflatable-wing technology for Mars exploration. To date, three successful high-altitude experiments have been completed, along with participation in a student unmanned aerial vehicle competition. From the workforce development perspective, students involved in BIG BLUE join the aerospace workforce while participating in the challenging research-oriented project, which influences their decision to choose and pursue an aerospace career.”

BigBlue Success!

March 17, 2007 – Colorado Mission Successful, and close to much more … Just two years ago, in early April 2005, the BIG BLUE 3 team was preparing to travel to Colorado for the first test of inflatable (but not rigidizable) wings, the AIRCAT had not yet made its first flight with rigid wings (let alone inflatable wings), and the Micropilot autopilot was not working (with the Pax River competition only two months away). Less than two years later, the BIG BLUE V team has now successfully completed the final Colorado mission to verify systems are ready for a high-altitude flight to demonstrate the feasibility of inflatable wings for Mars exploration. What a lot has been accomplished!

The objectives of the BBV Colorado Mission were defined in Fall 2006: 1) to verify long-range (near 100,000-ft altitude) communication with the commercial Piccolo autopilot, 2) to verify use of the autopilot for mission operations such as to initiate inflation, take pictures, monitor sensors, cut away and deploy the emergency parachute and 3) to test at high altitude a new lightweight aircraft (designed targeting a total weight less than 15 lb compared to the almost 40-lb weight of the AIRCAT with inflatable wings). The team of Kentucky and Oklahoma State students has worked hard since August, with a CDR at ILC Dover and many long hours in the lab and many cold days at the flying field.

On March 17, the day dawned with freezing temperatures, but a clear blue sky perfect for spotting the descending flight string – the FAA requirement to cut away at low altitude. Two days of flight testing had included many successful parachute deployment flights and enough autopilot tests, so the team was ready for a low-altitude cut-away mission. The mission simulation of the integrated aircraft had finished at 2 am Saturday with a long list of problems to be fixed, but most of these had been corrected before leaving the Fatton sunroom for the remote site. A loose connection in the cut-away circuit was finally located and the aircraft was quickly readied for launch as the balloon handlers kept the balloon from harm.

The launch and lower ascent proceeded as planned, with clear ATV transmissions from EOSS and UK cameras. As the balloon reached about 70,000 ft, aircraft control was successfully transferred from the launch-site ground station to the down-range ground station. The communication link to the autopilot was stronger and over longer distances than expected.  The command was issued to inflate the wings. The ATV view showed the wings inflated, but folded because a restraint had not released. Then the restraint suddenly let go and the wings snapped open. The team watched the TV monitors in shock as the fuselage failed under the unexpected dynamic load and the right wing fell away. Clear thinking by Dr. Michael Seigler, new faculty in ME at UK, prevailed at the remote autopilot ground station and the mission concluded with a successful cut-away from the EOSS parachute and successful deployment of the aircraft emergency chute. The aircraft was recovered, but the lost right wing is still missing. Spectacular video was recorded, along with amazing images (see launch day image sequence). Watch for images and video (see Media). The success of this year’s efforts, confirming the operation of the autopilot and aircraft means that BIG BLUE is finally ready for the last step – high-altitude flight! Go BIG BLUE!