TimePix@Space

Evaluation of results

2009-01-10T18:16:00.012+01:00

We were working hard on evaluation of results gained during the baloon´s flight. We already knew that our experiment was successful during the flight because we had real-time data broadcasting.

We were taking cosmic rays tracks in 5s fixed time period, therefore we got 3000 images. We can accurately demonstrate changes in cosmic rays´ intensity with different altitude from GPS data. We were also trying to calibrate our data with the Neutron monitoring program in Oulu, Finland. We have already handed in the final report of the whole experiment to ESA and are working on data publication...our experiment is finishing, but...

Some of us are already working on another one (CRIndIons)!!! Stratosphere, see you soon again...!

LAUNCH CAMPAIGN, Esrange, Kiruna

2008-10-05T10:03:00.028+02:00

3.-11.10.2008

Our team took part in Launch Campaign in Esrange (Kiruna, Sweden). On Wednesday 8th October in the afternoon (15:37 LT) our experiment was launched on a balloon Bexus 7 and landed at 19:30 at Finnish border. It was found on Thursday 9th and returned back to Esrange the day after. Flight was more than successful! We gained except demanded data also nice broadcast of our camera mounted on the gondola which was poiting up towards baloon so we saw how the balloon was getting bigger and bigger. Here you can see the most dramatic moments :

Taking data on a computer...

To see more photos&also some videos from this week, click here.
To read more about the campaign and the launch day.

ECRS Košíce & IAC Glasgow 2008

2008-09-18T15:26:00.003+02:00

Our project was presented at 21^st European Cosmic Ray Symposium in Košice, Slovakia and the poster from this conference was also exhibited in Czech Space Office kiosk during 59th International Astronautical Congress in Glasgow, Scotland.

FIRST RECORDS

2008-09-18T12:26:00.014+02:00

14.9.2008

During a flight when our device was transported to Kiruna, we keep MediPix detector on to see if it is able to register Cosmic Rays. We are then providing some data records...

PROJECT STATUS II

2008-09-16T00:02:00.042+02:00

Our final CDR is already completed and we are just working on pre-flight SED, adjusting the lay-out of your device and discussing proper attachment to gondola.

During summer holidays we have been carefully working on building and testing individual components and also the device as a whole system.

VACUUM TESTING OF ALL SUBSYSTEMS

We tested separately all subsystems in vacuum conditions lower than expected (5Pa) and the whole system also for over 3 hours. Important components (MedipiX and computer hardware) were tested in vacuum chamber with cryogenics exchanger. The whole experiment was running and taking data in freezer -35°C environment for over 6 hours, just running on the batteries.

COMPLETE FREEZER TEST

TESTING OF TimePix FOR OPERATION IN VACUUM, HERE ADDITIONALLY COOLED

THE WHOLE SYSTEM

Experiment mass ~ 3 kg
Dimensions :
main box 30 x 20 x 15 cm
TimePiX plastic enclosure 10 x 4 x 6 cm

DURING ASSEMBLATION

CDR Review (ESTEC, The Netherlands)

2008-09-11T14:15:00.022+02:00

30.6.-1.7.2008

At the end of June 2008 two members of our team were invited to take part in CDR review of the project. By this occassion they presented current status of our experiment and solved some issues that came up after The Training Week.

The main question involved the sealing . After consulting this issue with experts we dropped the idea of hermetically-sealed box and became aware that it would be easier just to adjust the electronics to be functional also in vacuum.

After the presentation on 30th July they also had some time to explore the surroundings of ESA centre...

TRAINING WEEK (Rocket base Esrange in Kiruna, SWEDEN)

2008-09-11T14:13:00.031+02:00

21.-25.4.2008

KIRUNA AIRPORT

During April the whole team were invited to rocket base situated above the polar circle in Sweden to get to know place which will later serve as a base for launching our experiment to the stratosphere. Programme of this week was full of lectures how to handle with potential problems which may arise during subsequent construction of our device and testing procedures, tours of the whole complex of buildings there and some workshops concerning corporations which are interested in space physics. As well as other teams we introduced there our project and what is the main goal we want to achieve.

ROCKET BASE ESRANGE

On this occasion we had prepared so-called Preliminary Design Review (PDR, linked on the right), which should have contained preliminary scheme of the project.

During the week we got to know a lot of interesting and very kind persons from the field of space physics. This week was for us contributing not only in scientific view...

...and the beautiful nature up there! :-)

PROJECT STATUS

2008-05-02T17:01:00.039+02:00

We are currently in intense preparations to construct and test our unit involving detecting device based on hybrid pixel detector of Medipix2/Timepix type (developed at CERN) with USB interface (developed at IEAP CTU in Prague). Its design has been overviewed by ESA experts during the Preliminary Design Review at ESRANGE Training week, which ended on Friday 25th. Now we are working on our final Critical Design report.

HW COMPONENTS

We would like to measure and evaluate the optimal performance of the detector detecting gama Cosmic Rays and decay products in stratospheric radiation environment, particularly in energy range of interest 10-100 keV. This will be used for possible further observational usage. The flight opportunity on BEXUS stratospheric balloon was provided by Swedish National Space Board, Eurolaunch and ESA Education department.

The project leader will present the final experiment design at ECRS conference and at IAC in October, shortly before the scheduled flight campaign.

COSMIC RAYS

2008-04-25T09:38:00.043+02:00

We are daily exposed to the radiation environment. Till the beginning of the 20th century we hadn´t known about it at all, because we couldn´t have suspected it, although those hidden particles occur everywhere around and also penetrate through us in any time! Even after discovery of this radiation it was expected that it comes from rocks beneath our feet, thus being Earth originated.

In the year 1912 Victor Hess, Austrian scientist, detected via series of hot-air balloon ascents that most of these particles have extraterrestrial origin. He discovered what was called Cosmic Radiation. Just coincidentally, but notably for our effort, he started also from Hradec Králové, which is nowadays situated in Czech Republic. Since the time extensive worldwide research has taken place, enabling and stimulating formation of a new field, high-energy physics.

Despite that it took almost another century, till the onset of the Third Millenia, to fully visualize Cosmic Rays and open humankind mind to the outer space. A great deal of this progress has been done during last decades in the European high-energy physics laboratory, CERN, built for the most part deep under Geneva.

But let's go back to the roots and our team effort... We come from the same country where it all begun, using similar (although much advanced) technique as well to gain more interesting results concerning the same phenomenon. The difference is that nowadays we are using state-of-the-art detector device provided by the IEAP (Institute at Czech Technical University), which developed this detector originally.

ESTEC workshop (European Space Research and Technology Centre = ESTEC in Noordwijk, The Netherlands)

2008-04-25T09:34:00.008+02:00

5.-6.3.2008

Our approach was firstly presented at ESTEC during BEXUS workshop. At this workshop were invited about 12 best teams which wanted to take part in BEXUS stratospheric balloon flight and consequently selected 8 of them by commission board of ESA experts to participate in flights to stratosphere, ours among them!

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT

2008-04-24T22:14:00.010+02:00

We found an opportunity to create an own experiment, which will be placed on a stratospheric balloon, in the end of year 2007 on ESA website and we had to take account many requirements 1,2.
In early January we sent ESA an application form which should have included the name of our project, what is an object of our experiment and his short description (BEXUS FORM A).