Status: Landed

The RIT Amateur Radio club has constructed a high-altitude balloon to be launched on Imagine RIT weekend, May 7.

Why build a HAB?

• Amateur radio high altitude ballooning (ARHAB) is one of the cutting edge ham radio activities
• Sometimes the process is more rewarding than the end result
• A well engineered, simple, and modular HAB payload design does not currently exist.
• Open source avionics code and full construction documentation published on the Internet.
• It's fun!

Balloon Stats

The meterological balloon is filled with helium:

• Volume at launch = 160 cubic feet
• Volume at burst = 115,000 cubic feet

A normal party balloon holds about 0.5 cubic feet of helium which means that at burst our balloon equals almost 230,000 party balloons!

How do we track it?

We use the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) to send GPS positions over ham radio.

• A network of ham radio operators around the country can receive signals from the balloon and either repeat or public them to the Internet.
• Tracking team members can receive the signal directly to view GPS position.
• When close enough, there is a loud audio buzzer flashing lights which initiate after a time limit or when a “cut- down” command is sent.

What is Near Space?

Near space is an area of the Earth's atmosphere between 65,000 – 350,000 feet in altitude

Conditions:

• Temperatures as low as -60° F
• Up to 99% vacuum of space
• Cosmic radiation 100x than sea level
• Curvature of the Earth and the black of space in easily visible