HacDC Spaceblimp
From HacDC Wiki
A collection of stuff about HacDC's near space initiatives, including the Hackerspaces In Space Contest entry (2010).
Documentation / Press
Spaceblimp-2
Flight date: 8/21/10
Time of liftoff: 10:47 (All times are GMT-5)
Time of touchdown: 11:49
Time of recovery: 12:20
Total flight time: 1:02 (62 minutes)
Liftoff to recovery time: 1:33 (93 minutes)
Touchdown to recovery time: 0:31 (31 minutes)
Weight of payload/chute: 1lb 13oz
Total cost of launch:
Airframe & Rigging:
Balloon: 800g Kaymont/Totex latex weather balloon cost: $?
Parachute Cord: 250-lb test Dacron line
Balloon Cord: 50-lb test Dacron line
Fill: 180 cubic-feet Helium - cost: $90
Chute: Rocketchutes flat 24" - cost: $9
Capsule: Insulated lunch pail (free, valued at ~$7)
Payload:
Canon model PowerShot SD300 running CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit) intervalometer script - cost: $20
Canon Li battery cost: $3.25
Canon 2GB SD card: $6
Falcom (uBlox based) GPS receiver + Serantel Antenna module - cost $47
Radiometrix VHF Narrow Band 300mW transmitter - cost $38
Ultralife U9VL-X Lithium-Manganese Dioxide non-rechargable battery cost: $7
Flight computer - cost $? Atmel ATMega328P microprocessor based, toner transfer & hand soldered board, two TC74 I2C temperatue sensors, 24LC1025 I2C EEROM, FQP50N06 cut down MOSFET, software derived from WhereAVR open source APRS tracker (http://garydion.com/projects/whereavr/)