Okay, so I got this wild idea to mess around with a weather balloon. I wanted to see how high I could get this thing and what kind of data I could collect. Seriously, I just wanted to launch a balloon into, you know, near space.
Getting Started
First, I needed a balloon, obviously. I found a decent-sized weather balloon online, Nothing fancy, just your standard latex one. I also grabbed a GPS tracker. I had to make sure to track the balloon and find it wherever the balloon landed.
Next up, I had to figure out how I was going to inflate this thing. Helium, of course.I found a local party supply store that would sell me a tank.I bought a sizable tank.
The Setup
I wanted to keep it simple, so I made a little payload box out of some lightweight foam board. The GPS tracker went in the middle. Making sure it had a clear view of the *, I attached the box to the balloon with some strong twine. Basic, but it seemed like it would work.
- Balloon: Check.
- Helium: Check.
- GPS Tracker: Check.
- Payload Box: Check.
Launch Day!
I picked a nice, clear day with not much wind. I didn’t want this thing blowing into the next county before it even got off the ground! I found a wide-open field, away from trees and power lines. I definitely didn’t want to make the local news for the wrong reasons, inflated the balloon, attached the payload, and let it go.
It was pretty cool watching it rise. It just kept going and going, getting smaller and smaller until it was just a tiny speck in the sky. I was glued to my phone, watching the GPS tracker’s location. I could see exactly where it was in real-time!
Tracking and Recovery
The balloon went way higher than I expected. I mean, it went up for a couple of hours! Eventually, the signal started to descend, meaning the balloon had popped and it was on its way back down. Classic.
I jumped in my car and headed toward the last known location. It ended up landing in a field, a good distance from where I launched it. I was just thrilled that I actually found it!
The Results
The balloon went a lot higher than I thought it would go at the beginning. Although I didn’t include any measuring equipment, the GPS tracking data was able to show me the trip of the * was a pretty awesome experiment.
I’m already thinking about what I can do next. Maybe add a camera? Or some other sensors? It is like, the sky’s the limit! Or, you know, beyond the sky.