Badgerloop in California: Day 5

Badgerloop
Aug 23, 2017 · 3 min read

Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Our day ended at roughly 3 AM Tuesday morning with the electrical team working to actuate all of the solenoids on the pod and verify their pinout scheme. Upon completion, they returned back to the hotel to get some sleep and prepare for the day ahead.

Tristan working long into the night

This morning, around 7 AM, a majority of the mechanical team and Ryan from the electrical team returned to Bulletproof to proof test the secondary braking system which they successfully completed. After that, the propulsion and braking teams were able to successfully test both of their systems in tandem. Spirits were high all around because this was a major milestone and marked a very important step towards getting onto the test track.

Low pressure test to verify that the everything is working together

After both proof tests were completed and everything was packed up, the pod was rolled back to SpaceX for a day of completing official competition tests. The first test that was performed was a structural inspection in which SpaceX engineers verified the integrity of our pod’s construction. Every rivet, bolt, and piece of metal that comprised the structure were checked to ensure that it would stay together during the full scale run. Unfortunately, SpaceX doesn’t permit photography on their campus so we aren’t able to show this process but the team, especially structural members Chris and James, were relieved to have passed.

Relaxing after passing a critical structural check

Throughout the day, a number of errands were needed for the pod such as buying screws, refilling air tanks, or machining stability wheels. Luckily, Los Angeles has just about every service you could imagine so getting an important component is never more than half an hour away.

After the SpaceX lot closed up at 5:00, the pod was moved back to Bulletproof along with the carbon fiber shell. The team took a quick break to have a team dinner at a local Hawaiian barbecue restaurant before another night in the workshop.

Team Dinner at a local hawaiian barbecue restaurant

Most of the mechanical teams were able to rest up at the hotel for the night, focusing on system documentation that SpaceX frequently asks for when talking about our pod. Braking and electrical members however, had another late night in the shop. The electrical team worked with the retroreflective sensors on the shell to ensure that they would be ready for navigational tests in the next few days. The braking team had to implement a few design changes after reviewing the system with our SpaceX advisors. This included adding safety valves and reproofing the air systems, checking for and mending leaks along the way.

Vaughn finalizing harnessing within the shell

Overall, we’re still on course to complete all of the necessary checks to run on the test track this weekend. We have more prepared than most teams but aren’t yet in the lead and a single day of tests can change everything. Keep a lookout for more coverage this week as we get closer to the final competition on Sunday.

Previous Post: Day 4

Next Post: Day 6

)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade