Week 3: Scripts, Hermanas, and Space Stuff

It has been a hectic week, but I am starting to get the hang of PHP. I have gone through the structure of the bat server line by line and retyped it, so I get how the mechanics work now. In the lab I met James who had a great idea for submitting data through a PDF form: Parse the file with a script and distribute the form data to the appropriate database entries. Using an Acrobat PDF with text forms will create a reusable form that can be filled out and emailed on any platform, without a public server! Brilliant! Along with James and David, I am exploring whats scripts are available on the web to get this done and how to properly insert them into web pages. With enough poking and prodding I will get it done!

Grabbing text from forms using PHP and HTML

Friday morning, STEAM Club participated in the Hermanas Conference. Hermanas is a program dedicated to introducing young women to STEM careers through interactive experiences. In the Fall, I had the opportunity to host an Arduino and circuits workshop, and had a great time showing kids something I am passionate about. This semester, I was able to join in on the Makey-Makey workshop, which was also an introduction to circuits! Makey-Makey kits let beginners hook up just about anything conductive (even fruits!) to a controller module, which works plug-and-play style for any computer with a USB connection. It's safe, educational, fun, and unleashes creativity!

Making Play-Doh controllers using Makey Makey kits

Around the lab this week, prep work is being done as we are still waiting on some materials. We discussed how to cut weight on the payload, which would leave room for more instruments or other improvements. Javier and Gen are making progress on their PCB designs, and the video stabilization team got the servos working with the accel/gyro/compass modules. Sorry for the lack of photos, but next week I will get some good ones!

A note for those who want to apply for ASCEND Fall 2020: I have been assigned to create some summer challenges that applicants can participate in to get a feel for the program and learn more about high-altitude ballooning. If you are interested, let me know!

Finally, I am writing this blog post a bit early since I will be absent all of next week. Through the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) program, I have been invited to Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena to participate in an on-site engineering challenge! I will have the opportunity to visit with NASA employees, get to know them a bit, and even hand them my resume! No expectations, but it would be cool to land an internship! I am just grateful to be part of such a unique experience and create some great memories. This opportunity comes around twice a year, and applications will be opening up for the Fall session soon. I highly encourage anyone with an interest in space research (all aspects of STEM) to apply for this program. I will post more information on here as it comes out. If you are interested in the details I would love to speak with you!

Have a great week and I will see you all again soon! Wish me luck!

Week 2: PHP, VR, and ASCEND progress

I've had to begin learning PHP quickly to get up to speed with the bat project. Using Codecademy, I have been able to learn the basic syntax for the language and it feels very familiar to the other languages I have used. As I continue to work through the course, I believe I can get the hang of it within another week or so. In my spare time, I've been recreating the existing web page from scratch to understand how each instruction works and to become more familiar with the current design. David has been guiding me through the basics and has been very helpful. I haven't had an experience like this one before, where I had to jump into the middle of a long-standing project, but it prepares me for experiences in my career and gives me a better understanding of my job roles.

Learning PHP through Codecademy

As a side note, I have been learning to use Unity and work with augmented reality (AR) libraries. AR allows a user to view a scene through their mobile camera or VR headset, and have software project any image/3D model into the scene appearing as if it exists in reality. This has huge potential for immersive learning experiences and adding the third dimension to digital exhibitions. Most people are struck with amazement if they have never seen it before. I will post screenshots of my test program in action soon so stay tuned.

Tuesday I was able to spend some time teaching ASCEND team members how to solder. This skill is essential when working with circuits and microcontrollers. It can be a bit intimidating at first, but it's really just melting small bits of metal with a hot rod. With good practices the skill can build quickly.

Constantino soldering an Arduino module while I observe his technique

Our first conference call with Arizona Near Space Research (ANSR), the organizers behind the balloon launch, took place Wednesday evening. The call involved team leads from each participating college speaking with members of the organization to discuss plans for the semester. We discussed our goals, improvements from the previous build, and our expectations for size and weight. We also reported plans for radio communication, which PC is actually known for throughout the program. We are one of two colleges that utilize long distance radio tracking, and the only college that has a motorized tracking system! Thanks to Paul Ronquillo and the other former team leads, we are able to build upon their amazing work to keep PC ahead of the curve.

It was cool to see that the current team lead for Arizona State University (ASU) was a former Phoenix College (PC) ASCEND team member, who was taking over the position from another former PC team member! I hope to follow in their footsteps and serve the ASU team once I transfer.

During our main session on Friday, the team was in full gear for work. Our first wave of orders was sent out ahead of schedule, so now the waiting begins. In the mean time, the different teams are still able to plan out their strategies and develop other parts of the payload design.

The ASCEND team hard at work in the engineering lab

Our power distro and atmospheric profiling teams began working with EAGLE to design custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) used to connect electrical components. The mechanical team began working on the structural design by creating 3D models, the video streaming team worked on the radio tracking system, and the video stabilization team familiarized themselves with Arduino programming.

Constantino and Shanis design a payload prototype using 3D modeling software
Left: Protective housing  Right: Storage structure for internal components

I am so proud of the hard work the team has put in, and we are just getting started! Everyone gets along well and is willing to work with one another. I can't wait to see the final product!

Although this semester is turning out to be a lot of work, I am so happy with all of the experiences I get to take part in. Having the opportunity to contribute something to research projects is so cool, and I am putting in my best effort to make sure I'm doing my part.

Have a great week and see you again soon!

Week 1: Welcome to my blog!

Thanks for stopping by! I will be making weekly blog posts with updates of what's happening around the lab.

Not only will I be working in the lab, but will be working on the NASA ASCEND program here at Phoenix College, so I will be including content regarding progress there as well.

I feel honored and excited to be taking part in this scholarship program. I hope you enjoy my blog!

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Week 1,  Friday:

On my first day, I was introduced to Joshua, Matt, Maria, and others who work in the lab. Everyone seems really nice, and I appreciate being around people who are driven to accomplish their goals and contribute something to the world of research. It helps me be a better student and is also a big part of why I join organizations around campus.

I spent my first hours in the lab watching the safety video series. It was quite long, but for good reason. I appreciated the simplified descriptions of lab equipment, how to use them, and proper protocol for preventing hazards in a lab setting. If an issue ever arises, I feel that I will know what to do now.

After working in the lab, I headed over to the engineering workroom for the NASA ASCEND program. If you're not familiar, ASCEND is a high-altitude weather balloon project funded by the Arizona Space Grant Consortium. STEM students build a payload carrying scientific experiments on a journey up to 100,000 ft and back, gathering data along the way. We will also be capturing video and streaming some of it live during the launch!

This is my second semester on the project, and I am serving as the team lead this time around. I take part in a little bit of everything, but in general I oversee our weekly operations, ensure we are meeting specifications, communicate with Arizona Near Space Research, and handle logistical operations. Our teams include atmospheric profiling, PCB/power distribution, video streaming/software, video stabilization, and mechanical/housing.

ASCEND team members discussing the project and working on the bill of materials.

This week, we sent out our first wave of orders way ahead of schedule! We are planning to get most of our parts ASAP so we can begin building right away due to having a shorter time frame this semester. Building off of last semester's payload, we have found parts that are better, lighter, and some that offer new capabilities for our system. The five teams are working hard to meet established deadlines, and I am very grateful for their efforts.

Check out our website if you want to learn more about ASCEND and see our previous launch video!

https://www.pcascend.com/

See you next week!