Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

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Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by Astrograph »

Our collaboration with Sheffield University and there Sunbyte Project is no very close to getting airborne. The team are at the REXUS/BEXUS facility in Sweden.

For daily updates please see the FB page https://www.facebook.com/projectsunbyte/ and the main website http://sunbyte.group.shef.ac.uk/

Briefly, Sunbyte is about hanging a telescope off a balloon and imaging the sun 25km up where it is a bracing -60C. Originally the project was due to image in the Ha band for which we commissioned a custom Research Grade filter from Solar Spectrum. Unfortunately although the filter is now ready, the launch schedule has not permitted its use due to lack of time for testing. As such the initial flight will image in the continuum band.

The project have developed a special, harmonic drive equipped mount for the telescope which will track the sun keeping the telescope pointed towards it at all times despite the movement of the balloon.

Fingers crossed it all works. If so, we get to do it all over again in Ha.


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Re: Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by Montana »

Wow! that sounds incredible, I hope it is successful. I guess then you will be selling the special cloud busting balloon mount to all astronomers :lol:

Alexandra


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Re: Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by Astrograph »

Given the weather, that's not a bad idea Aleaxandra. I think we can make it work in a simpler way
Sunbyte on the cheap.jpg
Sunbyte on the cheap.jpg (123.34 KiB) Viewed 1964 times


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Re: Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by Valery »

Thanks for the update, Rupert

What the SS filter parameters? Bandwidth, homogeneity and diameter?

What the telescope size and f.l.?

Is the scientific mission or just for illustrative imaging?

Will these fly missions more or less regular or only a limited number of them were planned?


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Re: Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by Astrograph »

The custom etalon is 0.3A. It is 32mm and the RG spec is uniform across 90%. It is not flying with this yet. The filter is designed to operate at 10C on just 40w of power. It has to be tested to see if 10C can be maintained for the flight duration (up to 5 hours with climb time) on that amount of power. The issue is that with the electronics no one really knows if they will lose heat because of the cold or cook because in a vacuum there is no way to dissipate it. It is funny. Whoever is asked (including ESA), can't provide an answer!

Potentially we are hoping to provide an Ha filter based on dielectric coatings that do not need thermal management and would be much lighter.

This first mission is just proof of concept to mainly test the tracking system. If they can get any kind of image then that is considered a success. It is the intention to use it for science applications. I am told that ultimately there might be 5 or 6 systems in use.

Initial scope is an 8" SCT (Airylab HaT) with coated corrector. This is de-lubricated and has a special tele-centric that is lighter due to 10kg payload limit on the balloon. We use this with a tele-compressor at 0.3x to get down to 1650mm FL to provide as close to full disc with the sensor they are using.

Many things are to be refined for stage 2 if this first test works.

I have to keep my eye on what the team are doing. I noticed in that video there was no cap on the secondary to protect it from heat. I asked them did they forget it. They did! now it is covered in foil!


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Re: Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by Valery »

Thanks again, Rupert. Very intresting.

I have a question. Why they doing so risky fly of so small telescope? What the sense? Such a telescope can
work at it's diffraction limit almost every day at mounts like Mnt St Veran etc. Even at my backyard observatory
such a telescope works at it's full potential every second or third day in a warm season.

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Re: Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by Astrograph »

Valery, I guess this project is part practical and part teaching students to solve problems. I told them from day 1 over six months ago that the very first thing they should do is try taking pictures of the sun from the ground. Understand what has to be done and then think if hanging the scope from a balloon is going to make that easier or not. The many Solar Physicists on the project seem excited. I guess they have there reasons for doing it this way compared to climbing a mountain. We can of course offer them bigger and better but 10kg remains the weight limit whatever is used so that will decide how useful this idea can really be.


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Re: Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by Valery »

Thanks, Rupert.


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Re: Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by eroel »

Rupert:
A very nice project.
Regards,
Eric.


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Re: Project Sunbyte is soon to fly

Post by allhoest »

Exiting!

CS
Alex


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