Adobri Solutions Ltd.
Summary
Adobri Solutions Website is an attempt to put together all ideas
/ source code / implementations for different projects. Currently we are working on a
Lunar probe project for
Google Lunar X Prize.
This page consist a draft for registration
Design and Development by Team Plan B is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Table of Contents
SECTION A TEAM IDENTIFICATION PACKAGE
Team name: Plan B Team
leader name: Alex Dobrianski
CRAFT name(s): Plan B
Associated Team nationality or nationalities: Canadian
Key Team members, with roles:
Sergei Dobrianski, Web Master
Andrei Dobrianski, Technical Director
Alex Ivanov, Chief Technical Officer
Chief point of contact for XPF, with contact information*:
Alex Dobrianski. #1407 950 Cambie st., Vancouver BC, V6B5X5, adobri@shaw.ca, ph.
1-604-306-1526
Chief point of contact for the media, with contact information:
Alex Dobrianski. #1407 950 Cambie st., Vancouver BC, V6B5X5, adobri@shaw.ca, ph.
1- 604-8730959.
Summary description of Team and your proposed mission:
“Team B” is an initiative from privately funded Canadian company Adobri Solutions
Ltd. Our mission is to utilize existing technologies in software, microprocessors,
communication, guidance and robotic systems to produce small weight vehicle capable
of traveling to and transmitting data to/from the moon surface. Delivery of a vehicle
to Lunar surface planed by a probe/craft with fixed impulses engines. Main weight
target on low-earth orbit for a probe and vehicle total is 100-150 kg. Flight schema
will include two orbit correction impulses, one main and one brake impulse with
direct arrival to the moon surface and soft landing with air-bags assistance. Designed
and manufactured vehicle/craft must pass thermal, mechanical, vacuum’s ground tests
prior making launch arrangements. Two launches are planned to succeed in winning
the Google Lunar X PRIZE. Results, mistakes in design, errors in calculation, and
bugs in software on first mission will give valuable input for the second craft/probe
re-design and second launch planed 9 month after. As for a media attraction event
our Canadian “Team B” is considering to deliver to the lunar surface a hockey ice
puck to make a symbolic face-off on the Moon.
Biographies of Team leader and key Team members:
Alex Dobrianski – Team Lead. Master degree in mathematics. Currently software engineer
with 28 years of probably useless experience in computer industry. Those include
all type of obsolete software and hardware design and implementation. Ancient mainframe
computer’s systems simulation, antique real time systems, archaic video processing,
primitive telecommunication systems are areas of expertise. Space technologies were a dream from childhood and opportunity to enter this field was not available until
now. Obstacles on a path to Space like eye’s astigmatism, luck of education and
serendipity in high-tech utilization, absence of security clearance did not disappeared
with a time and made more stubborn to participate on Google Lunar X PRIZE.
Sergei Dobrianski, Web Master. Student of British Columbia Institute of Technology.
Andrei Dobrianski. Technical Director. Holds an Electrical and Computer Engineering
Diploma from British Columbia Institute of Technology.
Alex Ivanov. Chief Technical Officer Alex Ivanov holds PhD degree in physics with
over 25 year experience in the fields of ultrasound, physical acoustics, and cryogenics.
Currently engaged in design of acoustic instrumentation, digital signal processing,
high speed communication, data transfer and visualization. Founder of privately
owned company manufacturing sonar equipment.
Team logo (vector graphic or minimum of
300 dpi):
SECTION B MISSION DATA PACKAGE
Synopsis of mission “Plan B”.
1. Launch on a “low earth” orbit can be done via commercial vehicle or as additional
payload for a regular government’s funded space launch. Orbit can be per-calculated
but likely be unpredictable. Parameters of orbit after successful launch are to
be independently (from a launcher company) calculated and verified by use GPS module(s).
2. Up to 5-20 circulation will require to check all on-board equipment/systems and
for preparation for low-orbit high-orbit manoeuvre. Crucial systems functionality
has to be conformed: communication, data transfer, orbit parameter's calculation,
astro-orientation, image delivery.
3. “Low-orbit” to “high-orbit” transfer has to be done via two impulses. High orbit
has to be achieved because of unknowing parameters of low-orbit, and as result unknowing
waiting time (up to one month) before flight to the moon. Impulses can be roughly
calculated and as result preformed by less precision high-thrust engines. High orbit
has to be achieved to avoid atmosphere influence on waiting orbit.
4. “Waiting-orbit” correction can be done via low-thrust precision engine. Engine
needs to be fired up a couple times to deliver impulses for orbit correction. Without
rush all system functionality needs to be test on “waiting-orbit”.
5. “Waiting-orbit” to “Earth-to-Moon” orbit transfer must be done via one impulse
of less precision high-thrust engine. All command for orbit correction has to be
verified before this manoeuvre.
6. At “Earth-to-Moon” orbit intensive trajectory corrections has to be performed.
All correction must be done by low-thrust engine.
7. Brake impulse can be preset and constant at design stage, plus-minus variation
verified at testing stage. “Earth-to-moon” orbit correction together with intensive
calculations on mission control system, and on board computers has to deliver probe
in specific point, with specific velocity in sun-earth-moon celestial point. Astro-orientation
system must set impulse’s vector based on desired landing place. Brake impulse should
slow probe enough to be allow soft-landing (air-bag based) system to adsorb impact
at lunar surface. Before soft landing all unused parts and engines frame needs to
be disconnected / ejected. Probe's antenna needs to be placed into a landing position.
8. Soft-landing system air-bags will somehow adsorb impact and deliver probe without
some / serious damage to the Moon. Air-bags will deflate/ruptured and probe has
to be oriented on surface.
9. Check of all probe’s systems. Broken probe’s components have to be detected.
Communication with mission control has to be performed. Backup systems activated.
Decision made on travel ability on terrain in desired direction.
10. Travel / filming / data transferring according X PRIZE rules. If possible travel
500 m and attempt to survive lunar night. All mission design was made based in information
published by Boris Chertok. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Chertok
http://epizodsspace.narod.ru/bibl/chertok/kniga-1/obl.html
http://epizodsspace.narod.ru/bibl/chertok/kniga-2/obl.html
http://epizodsspace.narod.ru/bibl/chertok/kniga-4/obl-4.html
Pease describe your preliminary launch plans. Do you intend to use the Google
Lunar X PRIZE Preferred Launch Provider, SpaceX? What other Launch vehicles are
you considering? Do you intend to use the Google Lunar X PRIZE Preferred Launch
Site, the State of Florida? What are your other candidate launch sites, and what
are your candidate launch windows?
Launch plans is not designed and decided yet. In previous NASA and Russian Space
programs first priority was to design launch vehicle and then check what missions
will be achievable with it. However, according Boris Chertok (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Chertok)
a better approach is backwards design. Lunar vehicle's design will bring requirements
for flight schema, those will chain design for a flight plan and finally will give
requirements for a mass and/on initial orbit. That will be a moment when launch
plans should be decided and made.
According quick calculation launch should be capable for deliver 100-150 kg payload
to low-earth orbit. Costs and prices should be negotiated, and if costs of a SpaceX
and/or any another agency/provider will be suitable – then decisions will be made
accordingly.
According to preliminary calculation design, development and testing can be done
in an 18 months time frame. Those make launch windows for spring 2013 and a second
(backup) launch in winter 2013-2014. Two launches must be included – all ground
testing would not able to eliminate all problems in probe design. A second launch
is required to reduce probability of an unsuccessful first mission (chances for
success is around 1/100) all sources of troubles (like charged particles, orbit
miscalculation, communication blackouts, landing side terrain) theoretically can
be solved by second mission only.
Delivery for a payload of 100-150 kg to low-earth orbit fits the probe into a category
of a small/amateurs satellite. From a low-earth orbit two impulses are required
to get the waiting orbit. Those impulses will be performed by two solid state engines
with fixed impulses. Vector orientation for impulses will be achieved by probe's
active mode rotation. On waiting orbit, probe can be parked for up to a one month
waiting period. On low and waiting orbits Keppler’s coordinates of a probe will
be calculate by backed-up two GPS receivers, conformation of centre-to-earth vector
can be independently confirmed by imaginary system. Then at a specific moment main
thrust engine will delivery the probe to a collision path to the Moon. Again (same
as first two impulses) main thrust will be done by a prefixed solid state engine,
orientation of a probe in time of impulse will be controlled by probe's active mode
rotation.
All inconsistency of impulse and miscalculation at waiting orbit must be corrected
by “precise” low-thrust engine which must have a force of 15000-37000 N. Active
component for that engine can be ethanol with melting (-114C) and boiling (+78C)
point. This will allow performance (stay liquid) in temperature range at space environment.
Energy for thrust will be collected by solar reflector on a graphite’s heater element
of an engine. This engine with lunar vehicle is a challenge because it requires
designs for a tanks, pumps, solar reflector, connection tubes, and graphite heater.
Vector orientation for impulses will be achieved by active mode of probe’s rotation.
Four solid state engines (one for break impulse) will be mounted orthogonal to each
other with axes of each engine projected over the centre of mass of a probe. Axes
of a 3 stepper motors to control probe rotation in active (impulse) mode will be
projected over the center of mass too. Also, there will be a challenge to design
software for controlling rotation. Thrust vectors for solid state engines can be
simulated by earth gravity but software has to be adaptive to harness limitation
and real space flight conditions. Developing probe’s mathematical model could help
to solve design challenges.
Please describe your preliminary plans for landing on the Moon. Where do
you intend to land?
What will be your descent method? Landing of probe will be similar to Luna-8/9 probe
flight’s schema. Main break impulse has to be performed by fixed solid state engine
to deliver probe with 0m/s velocity to a point with a minimum altitude of 250m and
maximum of 750m from the lunar surface. Time to start engine has to be given by
radar with antenna embedded into case of a brake-engine. Intensive calculation by
an on-board computer of vertical and horizontal speeds. Presiding the engine start
the radar should give data to control the probe's active mode rotation. Moment of
engine stop, detected by acceleration sensors will signal to deploy airbags. Deploying
airbags will remove engine frame mounted on a lunar vehicle and the frame itself
will be ejected by the rotation’s momentum from brake stage. Air bag will be inflated
by evaporated ethanol require for low-thrust engine burning.
Another method of inflating can be considered. No decision about final approach
of air-bag inflating is made yet, the same can be said about checks on mounting
frame on engine.
Ejection of engine frame by rotation of a probe is required to avoid collision with
probe’s parts at landing stage. Landing point on the lunar surface preferred to
be at the middle of a visible part of a the Moon with coordinates 2ºS 15ºW. This
is the Moon’s new geological area with more mountains but with less small crater
terrain. Landing time preferable at the beginning of the lunar day, but final decision
of a landing point/time can be made based on waiting-orbit parameters and all flight-path
to the moon.
If parameters of waiting-orbit and performance of low-thrust engine will not be
enough to make landing, then decisions have to be made to (a) to achieve moon’s
satellite position or (b) crush landing to the moon. In case of moon’s-satellite
orbit frame will remain attached to the lunar vehicle to help do probe orientation,
and mission will continue (this can be consider as a failure in Google Lunar X PRIZE
competition) to test communication equipment and to delivery images from around
Moon orbit. Magnetometer sensors for that backup mission will be mounted on engines
frame.
Airbags should be capable to reduce maximum speed at surface impact from 80m/s to
0 m/s with landing on lunar powder 20 cm deep. On impact airbags will be ruptured.
Orientation to surface at landing will be achieved by rotation of probe. All landing
will be performed automatically by on-board computer with telemetry recorded. It
is not practical to make video after airbags will be deployed, but some video recording
is possible at brake-engine firing.
After landing (if vehicle survive and communications will be established) first
will be transmitted landing data telemetry such as radar’s data reading, gyro-accelerators
reading, controls signal for active rotation. It is not decided yet, but it will
be preferable to deploy airbags based on another low-thrust engine evaporated component
(ethanol) in this case it is possible to eject low-thrust engine long before and
use its low thrust to delay impact of an engine frame to the Moon by couple minutes.
This (with additionally mounted on frame backup communication system) will give
possibility to re-transmit telemetry at landing time. Such development if preferable
but will make mission more complicated and costly.
Please describe your preliminary plans for meeting the 500 meter roaming
requirement. Will your whole landing vehicle (or “CRAFT”) move, or a secondary vehicle?
What is your mode of transportation e.g. 6 wheeled rover, crawling on legs, rocket
assisted hops, et cetera?
Vehicle’s design required to withstand impact equivalent of a free fall from 125m
on Earth with airbag protection. This will give easy guidance for an air-bag/vehicle
ground test. Airbags deflates after landing.
Vehicle consist of a
flat frame with 3 wheels, double sized two solar panels, horizon/azimuth
orientation helical 2.4GHz antenna,
sealed boxes/frame with computer equipment.
Vehicle is capable of travel despite which side of frame is up. Making length longer
than width will give capability to flip on side/edge of terrain, such move can be
useful to switch vehicle's sides and as a result to switch solar panel with deteriorated
performance.
All 3
wheels before landing will be in “transportation” position to make vehicle
“flat”. After landing wheels will be moved to “working” position by springs – this
will give flexibility for each wheel as a result third wheel can be dynamically
oriented to support steering of vehicles. Radius of each wheels 125mm, antenna length
650mm, total length 1050mm. Movement of antenna
and its equipment / contr-weight
box can give additional
steering / movement / digging capabilities.
Vehicle require 5 stepper motors to move and to orient antenna. All motors are regular
stepper motors, changing bearing to ceramic may be required depend on performance
at vacuum/temperature chamber's testing. Wiring on motors will require to withstand
temperature range from -100C to +115C. Desired direction and distance will be sent
to probe from ground control. On vehicle movement acceleration and azimuth from
sensors and motors performance will be accumulated together with solar panel efficiency
and on-board computer that will make decisions to achieve desired point of travel.
Upon arrival or upon time-out vehicle will orient antenna for communication session
with earth ground control. For 500m travel 50-75 sessions will be required. At session
point/time telemetry will be transferred first, then low resolution pictures from
camera. Then decision to transfer high resolution video/picture will be made. Transferring
HD images will give time to make a decision of next movement of probe. All travel
should be performed during 168 hours (7 days) upon landing. This will gives 2 hour
time between sessions with a travel time 20-25 minutes per session.
A convex mirror will be mounted on the antenna that will help observe terrain from
a high point. On the antenna box there will be another mounted flat mirror which
will allow the observation of the vehicle itself. On travel two low resolution and
one high resolution cameras will delivery images to memory storage.
Two 2.4GHz transmitter/receivers will be connected to network of microprocessors
and sensors, and to transmitter / receiver amplifiers. Transmitter will be capable
to burst packet with pick power 100Wt, Receiver's amplifier will be able to gain
92dB signal in 2.4 GHz band. Transmitters and receivers will be able to choose channels
within 1-2MHz space to compensate temperature instability. Transmitter rate has
to be around 32-48-56 Kbit/sec otherwise only selected HD video / images can be
transmitted. We expect real transmission rate actually be at 19Kbit/sec max this
will allow to transfer in one session from vehicle to ground control 1-3Mb of information.
Nothing interesting can be expected from an HD images – it will be nice to make
an experiment of making two 5-10 Megapixel pictures from high point of crater's
size calculations and compare it with different similar picture made from different
place on the Moon by different competitors of Lunar X PRIZE.
How do you intend to communicate with your CRAFT? How will you download
your Mooncasts?
Communication with a probe will be on 2.4GHz frequency. Core of a transmitter and
receiver will be done with a regular Bluetooth chips. Instead of an antenna transmitter
there will be a connect to power amplifier capable to 100Wt pick transmit power.
Receiver pin on chip will be connected to exit from low noise cascade amplifier
capable of 92dB gain. Both amplifiers and Bluetooth chip will be controlled by additional
microprocessor.
Protocol will support:
low
speed, medium speed 5bit/3bit with majority error correction, compatibility, and
hash protection. Mode transfer: half-duplex with hardware flow-control and each
packet with sequence number.
Portable ground stations will include 4 helical double size antennas, receiver’s
and transmitter’s amplifiers, same chip as a probe and microprocessor unit. On portable
ground station microprocessor unit will be connected to a personal computer using
a serial port. On PC special software will collect packets and send its over IP
to a central ground control station. Because of restrictions to communication on
2.4GHz band in different regions of the Earth some stations will be working in “receiver-only”
mode. 6 stations will be located around the globe to cover 24 hours communication
with probe, these stations will require a permit to operate in transmit mode. All
stations will be equipped with horizon – azimuth orientation system controlling
from the same communication software. Backup (manual) orientation assumed.
Each microprocessor unit (on probe and on ground stations) is
capable of remote software download. Each microprocessor unit can work as a regular
AT modem and as a standalone device controlling network for the probe’s internal
communications system. In normal mode of operation the probe will be accessible
as a web server with a designated IP address. Web server will be based on a main
computer module controllable by GET/PUT requests. Output of such requites will be
in XML format with telemetries readings /statuses of a probe.
All images/video will be hosted on separate shield protected
flash memory. This memory card will be accessible from cameras/web server. In case
of main computer failure standalone module will activate communication and control
will be transferred to backup computer – in this case telemetry will be available
to read from ground control directly. Images / video as a file can be requested
from ground control and send as raw data, movement of probe can be pre-programmed
only. Additional back up system will be developed for probe’s antenna orientation.
Do you intend to utilize the Google Lunar X PRIZE Preferred Communications partners, the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array or the Universal Space Network?
Yes. We are planning to utilize SETI Institute’s Allen
Telescope Array and Universal Space network. For that development will be modified
regular ground station to work in receiver mode and instead of connection 4 helical
antennas it will be plugged to equip available X PRIZE Preferred Communications
partners.
Do you intend to attempt to claim any of
the Bonus prizes? If so, which ones?
It was not decided yet, but it is preferable to make an
attempt to claim Bonus prize for survival Moon’s night on a second mission. Method
- digging into Lunar dust antenna equipment box and wheels to stabilize temperature
conditions for microprocessor equipment. Another way is to use ejected probes frame
– likely metallic parts will penetrate dip enough to support heat exchange from
underneath lunar dust and vital for survival probe’s equipment. No calculations
were made yet to make any estimates
SECTION C TEAM FINANCES AND PRIZE IMPACT DATA
Please describe your financing plans for this mission. Are you self‐financed? If
not, how do you intend to raise funding? Do you intend to generate revenue on this
mission in addition to attempting to win these prize purses? What percentage of
the total funding necessary for your mission have you already obtained?*
Development of a probe and vehicle must
be done based on existing available technologies. Targeting low-weight will reduce
costs of materials, production and probe’s electronic equipment.
Testing equipment including vacuum/temperature chambers will be co-used for a porpoise
of a manufacturing probe. Renting manufacturing equipment for mechanical part’s production
will be done based on separate agreement with owner of equipment with exchange to
service provided by Adobri Solutions Ltd.
Communication with a probe on orbit and on a moon will require portable receiver/transmitter
stations around globe, compensation for team members on that stage will discussed
separately. Main cost will be on a launch planed to be scheduled after successful
ground tests. Funds for first and second launches will be main expenses for a project.
With target weight on low-earth orbit 100-150kg it gives estimates 1,000,000 – 3,000,000
CDN per launch. Raise funding will be done via: (a) constant attempts to find sponsors
for a mission, (b) signing a contract with NASA’s Innovative Lunar Demonstration
Data, (c) web site donations, (d) advertisements embedded onto surface of a probe,
(e) sales of imprinting messages on wheels of a vehicle to delivery somebody eternity
- immortal messages to the Moon’s surface for a future civilizations(1 wheel = 1
message=affordable price 1,000,000CDN payments on delivery). Other ways to raise
funds useless to discuss until probe manufactured and ground tested passed.
Do you plan to carry any scientific payload not required by the Google Lunar X PRIZE
mission requirements? If so, what, and why?
In the case of unsuccessful mission but at possibility to enter Moon’s orbit magnetometer
we plan to embed into a probe, telemeter readings that will be published. Decisions
to include magnetometer is not made yet.
Do you expect support from your government? In what form might this take? How will
you comply with the Google Lunar X PRIZE rules on private financing that limit governmental
contributions to no more than 10% of total Team expenditures?
According to Boris Chertok it is impossible to advance any technology including
space industry without government funding/political support. To avoid this empirical
rule (to avoid government funding) will be made all attempts to develop anything
advanced and challenging. Also will be avoided any attempts to get, to use, and
to develop any patents because Moon does not consider as an area covered by patents
regulations. Message about “Moon is inventions terra free form patents” will be
imprinted to airbags and delivered to the Moon to comply with Chertok’s empirical
rule.
SECTION D TEAM MEDIA AND OUTREACH INFORMATION
Quote from Team leader or Team member,
with attribution, on the importance
of the Google Lunar X PRIZE
Google Lunar X PRIZE is an important initiative made by X PRIZE Foundation. Challenge
of that kind especially in Space history is unprecedented. Introducing this type
of competition in area of Space development in a view of a Team “Plan B” marking
moment when advances in technology, electronics, communication and science already
done, stagnate and available for everybody. It is like seeding new grass. Seeds
will adsorb everything available in current soil of innovation, grow strong on existing
high-tech’s manure, compete unpredictably with each other, and at the end of a day
spectacularly fertilize new ground for next metamorphoses of technical knowledge.
Team “Plan B” is excited to participate in Lunar X PRIZE, and hopes that our feasible
supplement will help make a next technological stride regardless of our possibility
to win, which we ambitiously assume to be one in one hundred
If your Embedded Public Outreach Liaison (EPOL) has already been selected,
please provide his or her name, contact information, and a brief description of
his or her background and skills:
Well, Alex Dobrianski was selected (for now) because only he can fully answer any
questions about “Team B” and project. Contact information: e-mail adobri@shaw.ca,
cell ph. 1-604-306-1526, mailing address: #1407 – 950 Cambie st. Vancouver BC, V6B
5X5, Canada.
If your EPOL has not yet been selected,
how and when do you expect to select that
person:
If in the future somebody
with better skills and knowledge in Liaison’s area will step-up to perform EPOL’s
role at “Team B” then that role will be transferred to such person.