In this work in progress we combine the ESA Spacecraft Materials Kit and Calliope Mini. Our goal is to provide OER (open educational ressources) material for schools. We like the idea that Kids learn to code and use code to learn more about earth and space.
Boris and Sophie-Charlotte got in touch and agreed to create a 3D printed base for the calliope shaped like a flying sauver. The material samplex would be put on a ring. The ring would be rotated by a continuous rotation servo so that the probes could be moved from one experiment to the next. Sophie-Charlotte agreed to work on the 3D part. Boris agreed to start with measuring the electrical resistance using calliope mini. In the first attempt, the ADC was used to measure the voltage running though the samples. The resulting value was the same 2023 for all metal samples. This was quite predicatable as the conductor cross section of the cubic samples is enormous. So there is no voltage drop withing the range of the ADC. Boris asked some teachers if they can propose an experimental setup that would work with the sample cubes.
ESERO and calliope agreed that it would be an interesting Project to combine the calliope and the materials kit. But using the calliope would only make sense if its usage would provide advantages compared to the analog test equipment that comes with the box. The first idea was using the AD converter to not only tell if a material is conductive but also to measure its specific electrical resistance. The second idea was to use the Bosch compass sensor in order to detect ferrous metals. Later on addititonal Grove Sensors (Ultrasound heating and IR temperature Sensor or a Scale) could be added. But first it would be desired to create experiments that can be conducted with on-board capabilities only - even without the materials kit. This would address a larger target audience.
Boris was invited to hold a workshop at ESERO (European Space Education and Research Office) at Ruhr Universität of Bochum. Boris met Sophie-Charlotte and they decided to start a Calliope Mini education project together. After the Workshop, ESERO provided Boris and Sophie-Charlotte with a Spacecraft Materials Kit. This was how the idea was born.
