A presentation of our high altitude balloon project overview and status

1. CHNSA
High Altitude Balloon Project
Castle Hill Near Space Agency
http://hab.hampson.net.au

2. Our Project
Project Goal
To
fly
Mark
into
space !!!!

3. No … not really 
Whew !!!!!

4. High Altitude Balloon Project
Project Goals
• To fly a weather balloon with science instruments
and HD camera onboard to 100,000ft (33km)
above the earth
• Record & log temperature v’s altitude data
• Capture the Blackness of space and the curvature
of the earth
• Track the payload at all times & return it safely to
earth
• Be able to find it once it lands
• Develop a reliable high altitude “near-space”
platform for future space missions

5. Why are we doing this project ?
• It’s a lot of fun !!
• Educational Value – amateur radio, ballooning,
electronics, programming, space science,
engineering
• To enhance our science and engineering
knowledge
• To challenge ourselves
• Our latest Science Project – 5th project, our
most challenging and complicated yet !

6. Previous Science Projects
• Magnetic Levitating Train
• Water powered Rocket
• RC Water Rocket Car – World records !!
• Build Radio Receiver – Electronics

7. What is Near Space ?
• Near Space is “nearly into space”
• The region of Earth's atmosphere that lies
between 65,000 and 350,000 feet (20 to 100 km)
above sea level.
• Its above where airliners and military planes fly
but below orbiting satellites
• Very low air pressure 1% of that at sea level
• Very low temperature -60 degrees C
• Very similar conditions to space

8. Where will we fly

9. Where to Start !!

10. How do we get up there ?
• We need a weather balloon and Helium (He) !
• 1.8m diameter on the ground – (vol – 3 m^3)
• 10m diameter at 100,000ft (30km) (vol 523 m^3)

11. How about getting back ?
• Gravity does that for us – but we need to slow
down before we crash
• We use a 1m diameter
parachute to slow
down to (18km/hr)
to land softly

12. What are we carrying to “near-space”
• Our Payloads !!
• Science Instruments, Tracking Devices, HD
Camera

13. Our onboard Science Package
• Arduino programmable computer
– Temperature sensor module -> -55C to +125C
– Write temp data to onboard SD Card
– Piezo buzzer 85dB to help find it on the ground

14. How do we find it again ?

15. Whats Next ?
• Fly our first mission - This Summer 2012/13
• More Near-Space science missions !
• Primary School PicoSats Program – Ping-Pong Satellites
– Ideas - marshmellow, gummybears, seeds, bubblewrap,
wet sponge, film, any more ideas ?
– Each PicoSat is signed and decorated by the student
– Each student gets a certificate when returned from near-
space

16. Questions ?
PicoSat Ideas ?