AspireSpace
				The British Amateur Space / Rocket Programme

AspireSpace Video Camera Payload Development

This page details the miniature onboard CCD video camera payload developed by the AspireSpace Avionics team. Rocket powered flight tests of the CCD video camera have been carried out 9 times, by AspireSpace. For the 6 subsystems tests, booster sections were supplied courtesy of the Middlesex Advanced Rocketry Society (MARS). With AspireSpace providing the rest of the rocket, as well as the avionics systems.

The initial video camera was developed for the ADV rocket, and was flighttested on 3 launches prior to the ill-fated flight of the ADV rocket.

Following the destruction of the ADV-1 rocket, along with the onboard video camera, another (improved) camera was acquired. This second CCD video camera was a colour video camera, as opposed to the first one, which was black and white.

More Photographs and technical details are available on the Video Camera Technical Details web page.

Test Flight 1

• Venue : Ayrshire, Scotland.
• Date : Sunday, August the 27th, 1995
• Camera Type : Black and white CCD video camera, mounted on a PCB.
• Comments : Successful flight - setting a new UK amateur rocketry record - the first time that an onboard video camera had been flown onboard a UK amateur rocket, as well as the first time that real-time video telemetry had been returned from a UK amateur rocket. The video footage returned, indicated asmooth ascent and post descent recovery deployment. Good footage wasobtained of the launch site.

• Venue : Ayrshire, Scotland.
• Date : Sunday, August the 27th, 1995
• Comments : Semi-successful flight. Due to one of the motors exploding on the launch pad, a near vertical ascent was followed by the vehicle veering off course due to the resultant thrust imbalance. The apogee was lower than planned, and caused the vehicle to plough nose first into the ground.Video telemetry was received up until the moment of impact. The videocamera was recovered intact.

• Venue : Ayrshire, Scotland.
• Date : Monday, August the 28th, 1995
• Comments : Following an all-night rebuild, a reflight of the previous launch was made the following day. An extremely succesfulflight took place under higher thrust than before, with the video telemetry indicating a smooth ascent to a much greater altitude. Goodfootage was obtained of the launch site, the surrounding countryside,and the distant islands of Cumbrae and Arran.

• Venue : Devon, England.
• Date : Saturday, October the 21st, 1995
• Launcher : ADV-1
• Comments : Unsuccesful flight. The ADV-1 was destroyed by a motor failure following lift-off. The CCD video camera wasdestroyed, and no footage was obtained.

Test Flight 5 Venue : Ayrshire, Scotland. Date : Sunday, August the 27th, 1996 Camera Type : Colour CCD video camera, mounted on a PCB. Comments : Successful flight, with video telemetry indicating asmooth ascent and post descent recovery deployment. Good footage wasobtained of the launch site.

Test Flight 6 Venue : Ayrshire, Scotland. Date : Sunday, August the 27th, 1995 Camera Type : Colour CCD video camera, mounted on a PCB. Comments : Successful flight, with video telemetry indicating asmooth ascent and post descent recovery deployment. Good footage wasobtained of the launch site.

Test Flight 7 Venue : Wiltshire, England. Date : Sunday, September the 27th, 1995 Camera Type : Colour CCD video camera, mounted on a PCB. Comments : Successful flight, with video telemetry indicating a smooth ascent and post descent recovery deployment. Good footage wasobtained of the launch site.

ASRV-1 - Test Flight 8 Venue : Norfolk, England. Date : Saturday, October the 26th, 1996 Camera Type : Colour CCD video camera, mounted on a PCB. Comments : Successful flight, with video telemetry indicating a smooth ascent and post descent recovery deployment. Good footage wasobtained of the launch site.

ASRV-2 - Test Flight 9 Venue : Staffordshire, England. Date : Saturday, March the 27th, 1997 Camera Type : Colour CCD video camera, mounted on a PCB. Comments : Successful flight, with video telemetry indicating a smooth ascent and post descent recovery deployment. Good footage was obtained of the launch site.