FAQ's

Is this FAQ a good place for writing technical design decisions?

Heck no! There are other places to do that.

What's the point of DAVE?

Payloads such as the muon detector benefit from extended time in the air. Other potential payloads may benefit from a more gentle descent, or placement in a specific location. Additionally, DAVE-specific payloads may be interesting, such as aerial mapping, rocket-spotting, etc.

Why not just like, build an RC plane?

Getting a conventional UAS to this altitude can actually be quite difficult at this scale. While it is certainly doable, there may be applications for this sort of vehicle in a situation where rapid response and having a presence at these altitudes is important. The autonomous functionality is critical in these scenarios. For example, while fighting a fire, being able to quickly get a picture from the sky may be useful for firefighters on the ground.

I have a cool idea for a payload that should go on DAVE. What should I do?

Write it down on the Trello card and message in #payload-dave! Even if we are actively focusing on IREC payloads, we can always be writing down good and interesting ideas.