Okay, so, high altitude ballooning! I’ve always been fascinated by space, and the idea of sending something almost there really got me hooked. I decided I had to try this.
Getting Started
First, I did a ton of reading. Like, a ton. Figured out what kind of balloon I needed (a big weather balloon, obviously), what kind of payload container would work (Styrofoam cooler – cheap and insulating!), and the basics of tracking and recovery.
The biggest things I needed were:
- Weather balloon (duh)
- Parachute (to get everything back down safely)
- GPS tracker (so I wouldn’t lose the thing)
- Camera (to get those awesome pictures!)
- Batteries (to power everything)
- A flight computer (to make sence of the location etc)
- And some duct tape, rope and basic construction stuff.
Building the Payload
I grabbed a cooler from the store and started cutting. Made a hole for the camera lens, reinforced some spots with extra foam, and made sure the GPS tracker would have a clear view of the sky. Wiring everything up was a bit fiddly, lots of soldering and checking connections. I used a simple action camera – didn’t want to risk anything too expensive on my first go!
The flight computer was basically just to log data – altitude, temperature, that kind of stuff. I wanted to be able to see how high it actually went and what the conditions were like up there.
Launch Day!
Finding a good launch spot was tricky. I needed somewhere open, away from power lines and airports, obviously. Checked with the local authorities to make sure I wasn’t breaking any rules. Finally found a big, empty field that worked perfectly.
Filling the balloon was… interesting. It’s bigger than you think! I used helium, and it took a surprisingly large tank to get it inflated enough. We tied the payload to the balloon with strong cord, making sure everything was secure. Double-checked the GPS, camera, everything.
Then… liftoff! Watching it rise was incredible. It went up fast, disappearing into the clouds within minutes. I tracked it on my phone using the GPS tracker’s app – super exciting!
Tracking and Recovery
The balloon went way higher than I expected. The GPS data showed it reaching over 90,000 feet! Crazy! Then, as planned, the balloon burst (they’re designed to do that at a certain altitude), and the parachute deployed.
The descent took a while, and I was glued to the tracking app. It landed in another field, a few miles away from the launch site. Drove out there, and there it was! The cooler was a bit banged up, but everything inside was intact.
The Results
The pictures were amazing! You could see the curvature of the Earth! The flight data showed the temperature dropping dramatically as it went up. It was all so cool.
Honestly, the whole experience was a blast. It took a lot of planning and work, but it was totally worth it. I’m already thinking about my next launch – maybe with a better camera, or some different sensors. If you’re thinking about doing this, do your research, be careful, and have fun!