Balloon Launch Video

BalloonSat 25 Video

BalloonSat 24 Video

Balloon Burst Video

Live view from Ground Station Antennas

Our Hardware

Balloons

Our primary retailer is Scientific Sales, Inc. We are very satisfied using the weather balloons made by Hwoyee, usually 1600 grams in size. The throat area is 10cm in diameter, but we easily mount the throat of the balloon to our 1.5 inch nozzles.

Tracking Equipment

The club is excited to be introucing a home-made tracker that works in the 70cm amateur radio band. This tracker prototype will fly the maiden flight soon.

The current primary tracker is the Byonics Micro-Trak AIO HA. This is the high altitude model, set wu

Payload Power Systems

Payloads during flight fly through temperatures as low as -60 degrees Celsius, often around -40 degrees for multiple. Power systems during flight are heavily insulated. We utilize high quality lithium batteries made in the USA from the Surefire. We have seen increased quality on the batteries made in the USA. In quantity, the Surefire batteries are highly competitive in price and reliability. Our retailer is Massey's Outfitters.

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Sun Tracking Balloon Payload

Our newest balloon payloads will need to understand their orientation in flight so we can control its direction. To do this, we need to know direction. The challenge is to design a payload to the direction towards the sun about the vertical axis. Develop the technology and expertise needed for a balloon payload attitude determination and control system. The payload should be able to:

• Determine sun direction to within +/- 5 degrees
• Take a measurement at least 10 times a second (10Hz sampling rate)
• Have a way to verify the measurements
• Build a payload less than 2 lbs to fly on the balloon line
• Fly the payload

The sun tracker payload is in the design phase. Please take a look at the PDR completed Sept. 11, 2012, click here.

Ballooning History

BalloonSat 25 - 311 Support. 107,693ft - April 13, 2013
Two High Altitude APRS Tracker, SPOT GPS, Antanova tracker, Four thermal payloads, 311 team project, 1600 gram balloon
Launch: VBRH, Recovery: 35.095016N,84.810859W Launch Notice

BalloonSat 24 - Tracker Test. Public outreach to 120,866ft - March 16, 2013
High Altitude APRS Tracker, SPOT GPS, Antanova tracker, Multi-bad tracker, 1600 gram balloon
Launch: GigaParts, Recovery: 34.541737N,84.447398W Launch Notice Flight Report

BalloonSat 23 - Chargersat IR Flight. Slow float from UAH
Launch from Tech Hall at UAH, Huntsville, AL - February 9, 2013
High Altitude RTTY Tracker, 1600 gram balloon
Launch: UAH, Recovery: Hartwell, GA Launch Notice

BalloonSat 22 - Outreach flight with Discovery Middle School, Madison Cty, AL
September 21, 2012
High Altitude APRS Tracker, SPOT GPS, 1600 gram balloon
Launch: Liberty Middle School, Recovery: 34.95935N, 86.31641W Launch Notice Poster Flight Report

BalloonSat 21 - Outreach flight with Liberty Middle School, Madison Cty, AL
September 21, 2012
High Altitude APRS Tracker, SPOT GPS, 1600 gram balloon
Launch: Liberty Middle School, Rcovery: 34.97625N, 86.47198W Launch Notice Poster Flight Report

BalloonSat 20 - Tracker Test and 124,198ft - July 15, 2012 8am
High Altitude APRS Tracker, SPOT GPS, Recovery Pod, 1600 gram balloon, Launch: GigaParts, Rcovery: 34.49679N, 87.37799W
Launch Notice Flight Report

BalloonSat 19 - Neutron Counter Flight 3 - June 16, 2012 9am
Neutron Counter, High Altitude APRS Tracker, SPOT GPS, 1600 gram balloon, Launch: GigaParts, Rcovery: 34.49679N, 87.37799W
GigaParts Launch Notice Pre-Flight Checklist
Google Earth KML from Payload Flight Report w/ Pics

BalloonSat 18 - Neutron Counter Flight 2 - May 11, 2012 8am
Neutron Counter, High Altitude APRS Tracker, SPOT GPS, 2000 gram balloon, Launch: Shelby Center, Recovery: 34.51571N, 85.99979W
Launch Notice

BalloonSat 17 - CubeSat Morse Code Beacon - February 28, 2012 10am
CubeSat Payload, 2x High Altitude APRS Tracker, 1200 gram balloon, Launch: 34.480745N, 87.305544W, Not recovered
Launch Notice Flight Report Google Earth KMZ

BalloonSat 16 - CubeSat Radio Range Test - October 28, 2011 8am
CubeSat Payload, Double Telemetry Box, 2x High Altitude APRS Tracker, 1200 gram balloon, Launch: Shelby Center at UAH, Recovered: 35.347519N, 84.672039W
Launch Notice Followup and Images KML

BalloonSat 15 - Neutron Counter Maiden Flight - August 26, 2011 8am
Neutron Counter, 2x High Altitude APRS Tracker, 1600 gram balloon, Launch: NSSTC near UAH, Recovered: 34.598878N, 87.003082W
Launch Notice Google Earth KML from APRS Google Earth KML from Counter ASGC Pics

BalloonSat 14 - Liberty Middle School Outreach Flight - April 13th, 2011
Followup Presentation ATVQ Winter 2011 Publication

BalloonSat 13 - Moored Balloon Test - March 18th, 2011
CanSat descent control tests
Images and Movies

BalloonSat 12 - Earth Day Flight - April 17th, 2010
Launch Notice Google Earth KML

BalloonSat 11.5 - 900MHz XTend Radio Test - April 10th, 2010
Launch Notice Google Earth KML

BalloonSat 11 - Nursing Dosimeter Flight - March 27th, 2010
Launch Notice Flight Report Google Earth KML

BalloonSat 10 - Tracker test flight - Nov 21, 2009
Launch Notice Flight Report Google Earth KML

BalloonSat 09 - Sparkman Middle School outreach flight - Nov 6, 2009
Launch Notice Flight Report Google Earth KML

BalloonSat 08 - ATV Transmitter test flight for live video - Oct 3, 2009
Launch Notice Flight Report

BalloonSat 07 - Space Hardware Club/Nursing Dept/Biology Dept flight - Mar 10, 2009
Event Pictures

BalloonSat 06 - Space Billboard flight 3 - October 25, 2008
Balloon temp/pressure / New egg shell transmitters / Space Billboard flight 3 / Boy Scout ATV outreach
Flight Report Flight Pictures

BalloonSat 05 - Space Billboard flight 2
Flight Checklist

BalloonSat 04 - Space Billboard flight 1 - October 27, 2007

BalloonSat 03 - Heat pipe experiment - May 3, 2007

BalloonSat 02 - Panoramic cameras - January 20, 2007

BalloonSat 01 - Film cameras and enviromental sensors - April 2, 2006