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Proceedings of the 25Th Annual Wisconsin Space Conference WISCONSIN SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM Proceedings of the 25th Annual Wisconsin Space Conference August 14, 2015 EAA AirVenture Museum Oshkosh, Wisconsin Commercial Space 25th Annual Wisconsin Space Conference August 14, 2015 Host: EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh, WI Copyright © 2015 Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Carthage College 2001 Alford Park Drive Kenosha, WI 53140 January, 2016 Innovations in Flight 25th Annual Wisconsin Space Conference August 14, 2015 Host: Experimental Aircraft Association, Oshkosh, WI Edited by: Kevin M. Crosby, Director, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Christine Thompson, Program Manager, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Kevin Anderson, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Eric Barnes, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse Karin Borgh, BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute Jeff Clark, Lawrence University Julie Dahlstrom, Carthage College Bill Dirienzo, University of Wisconsin – Sheboygan Duane Foust, University of Wisconsin – Platteville Rex Hanger, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater Coggin Heeringa, Crossroads at Big Creek Beth Johnson, University of Wisconsin – Fox Valley Robert Morrow, Orbital Technologies Corporation Bethany Reilly, University of Wisconsin – Fox Valley Danny Riley, Medical College of Wisconsin Leah Simon, Ripon College Glenn Spiczak, University of Wisconsin – River Falls Richard Stewart, University of Wisconsin – Superior Swapnil Tripathi, University of Wisconsin – Washington County Tate Wilson, Carroll University Sebastian Zamfir, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Todd Zimmerman, University of Wisconsin – Stout Cover Art: Sonex SubSonex JSX-1. Courtesy: Experimental Aircraft Association Published by: Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Carthage College 2001 Alford Park Drive Kenosha, WI 53140-1994 Publication Data: ISSN: 2374-8877 (print) / 2374-8885 (electronic) Frequency: annual publication; Year established: 1994. Preface to the Proceedings of the 25th Annual Wisconsin Space Conference Silver Space Grant! I recently had a chance to wander the ruins of the American Space Program. A few students and I toured the historic launch sites of the Mercury- Apollo era of build fast, learn from mistakes, rinse and repeat. Armed with Wikipedia, a flashlight, and GPS, we explored the reinforced blast shelters ("block houses”), escape tunnels, and flame deflectors left where they stood after the last launches in the late 1960s. There are more than a dozen of these concrete and steel relics disappearing into the trees and brush on the ocean south of KSC, each with a very unique place in history. The one pictured here has special significance because it is where the Apollo 1 disaster occurred. Only a small brass plaQue, barely visible against a massive concrete and steel support leg, memorializes the place where Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee died in the fire that swept through their Apollo spacecraft during a “plugs out” test days before the scheduled first launch of the Apollo program. It struck me, as we hacked through the brush and overgrowth surrounding these monuments, that NASA is not very good at preserving our history. A space program looks forward. It does not look back. So while the Silver Anniversary of these Proceedings is a good time to reflect on the past, maybe it’s an even better time to imagine the future. And that’s what you’ll find in these pages. From drones to dark matter, the sense of a present future can be found throughout the work selected for celebration at the 25th Annual Wisconsin Space Conference. Innovations in Flight, the theme for this year’s event, works well as an umbrella for the future-facing scientific contributions of our students and faculty researchers. There is much to be excited about in the work selected for publication this year and it’s gratifying to see Wisconsin making measurable contributions to our future in space and on earth. I hope you read these pages with the same sense of optimism about aerospace- related STEM research in Wisconsin that I have. Kevin M. Crosby, Director, WSGC January, 2016 Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Programs for 2015 Student Programs Aerospace Outreach Program • Undergraduate Scholarship • Undergraduate Research • The Aerospace Outreach Program provides grants to promote outreach programs and projects that disseminate Graduate Fellowship • Dr. Laurel Salton Clark Memorial Graduate Fellowship • University Sounding Rocket Team aerospace and space-related information to the general Competition • Student High-Altitude Balloon Launch • public, and support the development and implementation Student High-Altitude Balloon Payload • Industry of aerospace and space-related curricula in Wisconsin Member Internships • NASA Academy Leadership classrooms. In addition, this program supports NASA- trained educators in teacher training programs. Internships • NASA Centers/JPL Internships • NASA Reduced Gravity Team Programs • Student Travel Awards Special Initiatives Research Infrastructure The Special Initiatives Program is designed to provide The Research Infrastructure Program provides Research planning grants and program supplement grants for Seed Grant Awards to faculty and staff from WSGC ongoing or new programs which have space or aerospace Member and Affiliate Member colleges and universities to content and are intended to encourage, attract, and retain support individuals interested in starting or enhancing under-represented groups, especially women, minorities space- or aerospace-related research program(s). and the developmentally challenged, in careers in space- or aerospace-related fields. Higher Education Incentives Wisconsin Space Conference The Higher Education Incentives Program is a seed-grant program inviting proposals for innovative, value-added, The Wisconsin Space Conference is an annual conference higher education teaching/training projects related to featuring presentations of students, faculty, K-12 space science, space engineering, and other space- or educators and others who have received grants from aerospace-related disciplines. The Student Satellite WSGC over the past year. The Conference allows all to Program including Balloon and Rocket programs is also share their work with others interested in Space. It also administered under this program. includes keynote addresses, and the announcement of award recipients for the next year. Industry Program Regional Consortia The WSGC Industry Program is designed to meet the needs of Wisconsin Industry member institutions in WSGC is a founding member of the Great Midwest multiple ways including: Regional Space Grant Consortia. The Consortia consists of eight members, all Space Grants from Midwest and 1) The Industry Member Internships (listed under Great Lakes States. students above), Contact Us 2) the Industry/Academic Research Seed Program designed to provide funding and open an avenue for Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium member academia and industry researchers to work Carthage College together on a space-related project, and Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140-1994 3) the Industrial Education and Training Program Phone: (262) 551-6054 designed to provide funding for industry staff members to E-mail: [email protected] keep up-to-date in NASA-relevant fields. Web: spacegrant.carthage.edu 2015 Wisconsin Space Conference Innovations in Flight TABLE OF CONTENTS General Information ……………………………………………………………... i Issue Credits……………………………………………………………................. ii Director’s Welcome ……………………………………………………………… iii WSGC Programs ………………………………………………………………… iv Part One: Astronomy and Cosmology A Search for a New Variable and Proper Motion Stars in the Galactic Disk, Robert A Benjamin .............................................................................................................................. 1 Observing Nebulosities: The Cygnus Superbubble, Chris Christopherson, Nadia Kaltcheva .............................................................................................................................. 7 Can Dark Matter Halos Change Shape? Examining the Adams Instability in Triaxial Systems, Evan Dowling, Eric Barnes …………………........…………………………..… 12 The Circulation of Ionized Gas in the Milky Way Galaxy, Andrew Eagon ………..…… 17 Young Stellar Population of the Cygnus Star-forming Field, Henri LeMieux, Nadia Kaltcheva .............................................................................................................................. 24 Star Forming Rates and HI Gas Content in Galaxy Groups, Sarah Martens …….....….. 28 Predicting Collisionless Equilibria in Dark Matter Simulations, Robert J. Ragan .......... 37 Part Two: Physics and Engineering Three Dimensional NURBS Modeling and Fabrication of Rotorcraft Design, Geoffrey A. Ament ………………………….………………………………………………............. 45 Thunderstorm Electrification, Stephanie Bradshaw ..………………………………......... 55 Fire in Orbit: Equipping the Commercial Spaceflight Industry for Fighting Fire in Microgravity, Trent Cybela ……………………………..................................................... 62 Recent Progress in Lunar Helium-3 Extraction Research, Aaron D.S. Olson ….……... 73 Part Three: Biosciences and Geosciences Preliminary Assessment of Low-cost Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for Creating Aerial Photographs for Natural Resource Research, Eric Compas ……...……………... 81 Riveting Hammer Vibration and Nerve Damage, Jordan J. Zimmerman, Danny A. Riley, James L.W. Bain ………………………………………………………………….. 91 Part Four: Team Projects Monitoring Carbon Dioxide and Methane
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