High Altitude Balloon Launch Supplies

thingiverse

The Pueblo City-County Library District took to the skies in summer 2015 with an impressive high altitude balloon launch. The Balloon soared aloft carrying essential items: a GoPro camera, GPS tracking beacon, and electronic instruments. These objects were expertly crafted using 3D printing technology for the project: > A specialized mount designed specifically for securing the GoPro camera within the foam cooler. > An innovative NiChrome electrical line cutter for emergency situations. > A servo activator to power a hot pack, keeping essential electronics from freezing during flight. > A balloon neck tube that facilitates easy filling and provides a secure grip on the balloon. To learn more about conducting a high-altitude balloon launch or view the final report, head over to the project's public Google Drive: https://goo.gl/8GdnQY Here is a 30-minute video capturing the thrilling balloon launch from the Pueblo City-County Library District, launched in June of 2015: <iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B20Tn1-412L7VmYwYlVqd0VVT0U/preview" width="640" height="480"></iframe> Print Settings: Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator Rafts: Yes Supports: Yes Resolution: Low resolution is suitable for this project. Notes: We chose ABS due to concerns that PLA would become brittle at low temperatures experienced by high-altitude balloons, which can drop as low as -70°F. The temperature has been recorded during flights. Post-Printing: The GoPro camera was securely attached within the specially designed mount using zip-ties. A pair of sodium acetate rechargeable hot packs were used to prevent the camera and internal electronics from freezing. One hot pack was electronically activated mid-flight, utilizing a servo connected to an Arduino Uno microcontroller running control software for the experiments. See a video demonstrating its operation: (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); A homemade hot-pack starter was successfully printed and designed by David Hartkop to start a secondary heater during the high altitude balloon flight in June. To terminate the flight if the specified time has been exceeded, we equipped the main line with a NiChrome heater wire that would cut the rope. Unfortunately, due to twisting of the line, the wires were cut during our flight. Future flights will utilize a small rotating relief and sturdier wires. A specially designed tube was printed and inserted into the neck of the large sounding balloon, providing a non-slip region for securing with zip-ties. This tube holds the neck open during inflation and provides a secure place for payload lines.