Logic Flowchart and Programming are below:

Success

Here's a picture of what we actually ended up putting in the rocket:

Some videos of the launch:

and...we have data:

Our GPS data pinpointed EXACTLY where we launched from...



...and where we landed!

Finally--- We Launch!!!!

So...after hours of struggling with the GSM unit our grad. student our illustrious IT support guy have gotten it to text us GPS data continuously as long as it was plugged into the computer via USB cable. Unfortunately, no amount of re-wiring has gotten it to function on battery alone. We have therefore thrown in the towel on cellular text message transmission, and are starting completely from scratch with RF transmission via an XBee. Luckily this is something that has been done widely in the past, is well documented on the internet, and we can hopefully get working for proof of concept in a single day. We've even found on Sparkfun's website XBee which has a 28 mile range!

Here is what we are using for proof of concept:

Two XBee PRO series 2 units (one to send and one to receive data):

Two XBee shields to connect them to our Arduinos:

Two Arduino Unos (one in the rocket for data transmission and one on the ground attached to a laptop for data reception):

We will still be using the same GPS unit:

We are currently programming the XBees to communicate specifically with one another. There is a great tutorial on how to do this here:
http://tutorial.cytron.com.my/2012/03/08/xbee-series-2-point-to-point-communication/

Hopefully we can have this working today or early tomorrow and will be able to test it in our rocket.

Okay, here is the new plan -

we are using a GSM shield and separate GPS unit from Sparkfun.com and putting them together our selves:

Arduino Uno

Cellular Shield with SM5100B

Quad-band Cellular Antenna SMA

20 Channel EM-406A SiRF III Receiver with Antenna

GPS Breakout

Arduino Stackable Header Kit

At the moment we have everything assembled and are currently working on coding. We've found someone who has already written the code for essentially the same unit we've put together (http://jayeshprojects.blogspot.com/2010/04/real-time-mobile-gps-tracker-with.html) and are basing our code off the one found there. Hopefully it will work this time...

How we color coded our wiring

Standing By...

"It's so much work not launching a rocket..."

                                                                                            - Some Dude

Turns out that the hardware from DFRobot was faulty. Sir Nick managed to get the micro-controller to transmit and receive a GPS location with a micro-controller from Sparkfun. Hurrah for that, but unfortunately, that means that we're going to have to order another set of hardware again, pushing us back several days.

We haven't been able to do much since then. I mean, there's only so many times you can edit and revise a report without any data. No micro-controller = no rocket launch = no data.

We have completed mostly everything else, though. All the tech-fest stuff is done, and all the lesson plans are almost done. We cannot move forward without data/results from field tests, though.

Standing by for parts...

PROGRESS!!!

Although we have had struggles, we seem to be making progress...
The original shield we were using had a GPS and GSM mounted together.  We could get some GPS data, but could never get the GSM to sync to the network.  Our gracious UNT technical advisory, Nick, happened to have an extra independent GPS shield and an independent GSM shield.  We tested both of them today and both were functional.  We could send a text through the GSM and we received frequent data from the GPS.  That is a great step forward.

So now, we are going to order those components individually, mount them and program them together.  We believe they will work together!  We will see in a few days!!!