S.O.A.R.

CAPSTONE Student Senior Design: 

SOAR aims to break the world endurance record for a low-altitude unmanned aerial system under 50 kg set by Atlantik Solar by flying for over 81.5 hours. The goal is to design, fabricate, and test a solar-powered unmanned aerial system (UAS) that can convert and store energy for prolonged flight times. This lightweight UAS will set a new world record and can be used for reconnaissance, search and rescue, crop monitoring, and communications.​

 

SOAR is a team of 11 students, who worked over the course of a year to design, manufacture, and perform tests, to develop a solar unmanned aerial system (UAS). SOAR is composed of ten aerospace students, 1 mechanical student, and 1 business student.

On SOAR, I was the project manager and a member of the Aerodynamics subsystem. My role allowed me to work closely with the leads of each of our subsystems, Aerodynamics, Electrical, and Structures, as well as partake in the design aspect. 

Specifically, I helped finalize the design selection for the vertical stabilizer which is part of the empennage, or the tail, of the UAS. In the electrical subsystem, I aided in spot-welding the batteries together to form our battery packs. As a project manager, it was crucial to maintain consistent communication with our instructors and the team, as well as ensure the team was following the schedule. 

At the Northrop Grumman Engineering and Science Student Design Showcase 2023, SOAR placed top three in the Aerospace Engineering Category. 

 Details regarding each subsystem can be found below

 

Tlatzolteotl Mission Report

Space Mission Engineering Project

This project was completed in a group setting, alongside Josseanne Duarte and Ashley Tisaranni

Mission Concept


The accumulation of space debris in low Earth orbit (LEO) is a threat to space assets and human space activities. According to the latest estimation by the European Space Agency's Space Debris Office, there are around 34,000 debris objects larger than 10 cm, and around 900,000 debris objects larger than 1 cm in LEO. This makes LEO the World’s largest garbage dump. Space debris can cause damage to operational satellites, pose a risk to astronauts, and hinder future space missions. Therefore, effective mitigation strategies are necessary to ensure the safety and sustainability of space activities.  


A possible solution to the issue of space debris in the vicinity of our planet is the use of space tugs to capture decommissioned spacecraft, slow them down, redirect them, and send them on a controlled atmosphere re-entry trajectory.  Tlazólteótl is a commercial space junk collection and deorbit concept for LEO. A Capture and Relocation Module (CRM) will undock from the Mother Spacecraft (MSC) to chase the target, acquire it, and redirect it for re-entry. The CRM will use four small robotic arms located at its base to secure the target while it decelerates the debris object. Once the target is successfully controlled, the CRM will move it to a lower orbit and send it on a controlled reentry. Tlazólteótl will operate by contract to deorbit decommissioned spacecraft in LEO. The MSC will carry two spare CRMs that can be deployed in case of failure of the primary CRM.  


Concept of Operations

Josseanne Duarte

Requirements Tree

Requirements Tree - Radial Representation 

Melanie Rivera

Mother Spacecraft (MSC) (Left) and Capture and Relocation Module (CRM) (Right)

Mother Space Craft (MSC) Fusion 360 Preliminary Model- depicts body, solar panels, and 4 deployable CRM's 

Ashley Tisaranni

Command and Data Handling 

Data Block Diagram and Telemetry Signals

Melanie Rivera

The class project was originally divided into two parts, and both are displayed below in PDF format.

missionreport1.pdf
Mission Report 2.pdf

Menzi Muck Replication 

Solids Modeling Project

This project was completed in a group setting, alongside Josseanne Duarte, Ashley Tisaranni, and Trishaa Mahesh

The goal of the project was to replicate the Menzi Muck, also known as a spider excavator, and it was modeled with over 45 individual parts. The main divisions of the designs include the arm, the cabin, joints, and the legs. The document includes a parts list, orthographic and isometric views of the parts, and numbered balloons.

MuckBangCombined_merged.pdf

 Contact Information

riveram2019@my.fit.edu

407-520-0138