Tracking Capsule

To build this capsule we purchased some acrylic tubing plastic from Midland Plastics. We used a 6 inch diameter tube and had it cut to the size we wanted, 6 inches in length. We also bought some clear and colored acrylic plastic sheets to make the top and bottom of the capsule.  We then went over to the MSOE Laser Cutter and after designing the sizes for the lids in AutoCad, we were able to use those files to program onto the cutter and have the most precise measurements possible.  We added a small ring indention to the top of the lid, enabling us to add an o-ring to make the capsule completely waterproof.  Using Weld-On to bond the pieces of plastic together created a bond that, when dry, united the pieces to become one piece of plastic.  We used a 0.5 inch thick piece of the acrylic 5.75 inches in diameter to fit to the inside of the lid, giving us a snug fit and allowing us to screw the lid closed.  To screw the lid closed we drilled and tapped four 4-40 holes from the outside of the capsule and into the 0.5 inch thick piece of acrylic which was bonded onto the main lid.  Inside the capsule we added three sets of walls to give each piece of equipment a snug fit and keep them in place during the flight. For the top we had the MSOE Laser Cutter make small half-circles, which we bonded onto the top of the lid to attach the parachute with.  On the bottom we used three half circles for attaching the science payload.  We cut out a small square of flat acrylic, 1.5 inch x 1.5 inch, to be used as a window for the camera so that it would not have to focus through a rounded surface.

Science Experiment Capsule

We kept the science payload as simple as possible to maximize space and minimize weight. We simply used a 7 inch length of the same acrylic tubing used for the first payload, and constructed the lid the same as we did the first one, with an o-ring to make sure that it was waterproof. We also had the same three half-circles on the top of the lid, used to connect the two capsules together.