Experiment ARCADE

ARCADE-R2 & Outreach: the new flyers

Lorenzo — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:57:37 +0000

As a BEXUS team, we consider outreach as a fundamental activity. For this reason, we are glad to present the new ARCADE-R2 flyers, both in Italian and English. In them, we describe the experiment and the team, introducing REXUS/BEXUS programme and the launch campaign:

ARCADE-R2 Flyer - June 2013

ARCADE-R2 Flyer – June 2013

* * *ARCADE-R2 new flyers

If you are interested in our outreach materials, take a look to the Resources page for the official brochure and some presentations.

Post-CDR working…

Lorenzo — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:55:45 +0000

Hi everybody!

ARCADE team is now working on post-CDR report and, one by one, we are addressing all the comments and recommendations from the panel.

In next picture, we can see Francesco & Francesco (top left) having a good time with thermal design, and Livia reviewing the Experiment Document (lower, right). We are also working on electronics and mechanics…

Stay tuned for more info!

ARCADE & ARCADE-R2 development time-line

Lorenzo — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 09:18:52 +0000

ARCADE Experiment from proposal (2010) to launch (2011) and its legacy: ARCADE-R2 (2012-2013)

The scale test

Francesco Sansone — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:46:06 +0000

Hi mates,

some new elements of the ARCADE-R2 slimming diet are ready! To check their effects, below you can see some pictures showing the “scale test” we performed on the new PROXBOX battery boxes, as well as the SMAV top plate and fin.

In addition, two 25-gram bars were removed from the SMAV structure, for a further mass reduction of 50 g.

New PROXBOX battery boxes 90% complete

Francesco Sansone — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:06:18 +0000

Hi all,

here are the new, lighter boxes for the PROXBOX batteries. They are composed by a frame of aluminum L-bars and plastic plates. The internal foam layer for thermal insulation will be realized very soon – stay tuned!

Mass Reduction

Francesco Sansone — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:36:59 +0000

Mass reduction was the main topic that was discussed during the last meetings. A specific brainstorming session with the whole team was performed in order to rise all the possible ideas on this point. In addition to the removal of some redundant or no longer in use components, the chosen strategy develops through four actions:

substitution of the solid PROXBOX columns with hollow columns (2 mm thick)
substitution of the solid bars on the PROXBOX base plate with a series of screws directly bolted to the base plate, which will be used to fix most of the equipment which is housed inside the PROXBOX
substitution of the PROXBOX upper bars with 1-mm thick hollow bars
substitution of the PROXBOX battery boxes with home-made lighter boxes, built with plastic walls and aluminium edges

These improvements will lead to an expected mass reduction of 3.14 kg, which sums to the already achieved 0.86 kg, for a total of about 4 kg!

Telecon with ESA

Francesco Sansone — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:36:21 +0000

A few days ago the ARCADE-R2 team gathered at the CISAS labs for an important telecon with Koen Debeule. The BEXUS panel feedback on the PDR SED was discussed; the telecon focused on the software advancement, on the pre-flight operations and, expecially, on the actions to be adopted for an effective mass saving.

Stay tuned for updates!

Working on docking mechanism

Lorenzo — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:52:31 +0000

It was important to fix some minor issues on the ARCADE docking mechanism. Misalignment errors can cause jamming during docking procedures, so three main modifications were realized during San Vito Snow Week and in our facilities here in Padova.

First, machining the SMAV front plate solves most of our problems: now we can regulate its position, shifting the probe to a perfect alignment with the drogue.

Then, on the drogue bottom element a cavity was removed to improve contact between the docking magnet and the probe tip.

Last, the original iron (ferromagnetic) probe tip was substituted with a permanent magnet, increasing the magnetic force with the drogue.

Now ARCADE-R2 is ready to perform all the required procedures, with no more jamming risk.

Docking solenoids update

Francesco Sansone — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:27:56 +0000

Minor but important machining was completed on the docking solenoids, towards the implementation of an optical signalling system for the detection of the extension / retraction of the solenoids. The threaded hole on the back of each solenoid core will house a screw, which in turn opens / closes an optical link when the solenoid is retracted / extended .

This system will replace the older one, which was based on light reflection and experienced some repeatability issues. The concept of the new system is shown below.

ARCADE-R2 on local newspaper

Francesco Sansone — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:50:11 +0000

Our week in San Vito did not roll by unnoticed! Here is the piece published on “L’Amico del Popolo”, a local newspaper of Cadore and Ampezzo.