This is my first attempt at a High Altitude Balloon launch so I understand that a lot of research needs to be conducted. I spent most of the evening reading various High Altitude Ballooning project sites and found a wealth of information.
From some initial reading, and I know I will be doing a lot more, I have already discovered a few things. To start with I would need to obtain a balloon, and not just any balloon but one that is capable of withstanding the low pressure experienced at high altitude. As the air pressure reduces the balloon expands causing it to burst. Thus a balloon that has enough stretch and durability to reach the required altitude is needed.
From what I can tell the balloons are designed for different payload weights and altitudes. I will do some more researching to learn more, but I wonder if these balloons can be purchased in Australia or if I will have to purchase from Overseas. Time will tell.
For the recovery of the payload, a parachute will be needed. I haven't done much reading on these yet but they seem to differ in size depending on the payload weight and the required descent speed. Looking at a few HAB video's the chutes look a lot smaller then I would have thought necessary but I guess it really depends on the payload. So something else to learn about.
The payload itself is probably the most important and will take the most amount of time to learn about. I've already seen many different designs and ideas and all of them seem unique in some ways. So far I am already liking the idea of using APRS to assist with the tracking. But I still need to learn about the various options for micro controllers, do I build my own , purchase a pre-made kit , blah blah blah.
I'd love to be able to track the balloon through its entire flight but already this can be a challenge. Mainly for the recovery phase. Whilst aloft the reception of radio signals shouldn't be a problem however once it lands back to earth, (provided it survives the impact) it still needs to be found. So I need to investigate those options. I've seen people use mobile phone SMS to relay the landing location but if the payload lands in an area with no mobile phone service then this will be a problem. Finding a suitable launch site may help here.
I will also need to look into the legal responsibilities with launching such a balloon. Looks like I will need CASA approval to ensure no aircraft are in the projected flight path. This will also relate to the location for launch. I live on the outer burbs of Sydney thus feel I won't be able to launch locally otherwise I will be sure to enter the main flight path of jets into Sydney Airport, drop the payload onto someone's house, or possibly land in the ocean. So looks like a trip outback may be the best option.
I found a website http://habhub.org/predict/ which allows me to predict where a launched balloon may land. I don't know if all the values I entered where correct, but launching a balloon in Bathurst seemed to have me land almost back in Sydney. All will depend on the day I guess, but makes the recovery interesting. As long as the device can relay its landing location I guess it will be like finding a geocache.
Off to do some more research...
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