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03/30/09 - ATLAS Components and Board Integration
The maiden voyage of Vertical Cruise Missle (VCM) was completed a couple of weeks ago. Aboard VCM for the test flight was commercial built flight computer, comprised of a couple of boards used on our past rockets. As a precautionary measure to ensure the success of our own flight computer, the members of USLI decided to not include our own student built electronics for the test flight.
As a result of our test flight, our airframe took some minor damage, which can be shown in the following photograph of the small abrasion on the leading edge of one of our fins. To repair the damage we carefully sanded down the damaged region, and then prepared it for another layer of carbon fiber. This last layer of carbon fiber will not only allow us to properly repair the damage, but it also provides greater strength to our fins as well as an increased stability for our future flights.
Simultaniously, significant progress from our diligent, safety aware members being made towards the completion of our flight computer. As indicated in past documentation and presentations, a schedule for testing of the payload has been created, along with procedures with expected cailbration results for all of the components of ATLAS. After it's construction, ATLAS will be tested according to each of these pre-determined procedures.
USLI team members: Carlos Ballesteros and Chris Gay constructing the components and required circuitry for later integration into the electonics bay of VCM.
Stay tuned for further progress with regards to VCM and it's payload...
~ Matt Summers; USLI Team Lead