Hobby balloon to 32,500 metres

[18-Wheeler]

An Aussie mate of mine, currently living in Germany, decided to build a balloon and see how high he could make it go, videoing the whole thing. It was inspired by the English father & son team a few months ago that did the same thing.
The launch was just before dawn so there's not a lot to see but a couple of minutes after there's enough light to see the surroundings. A shame there's a lot of cloud cover though.
The balloon finally pops at about 32,500 metres (about 7:45 into the video) and the package comes down by parachute ... though not very well as the remains of the balloon tangle it up a bit. The batteries also fail just before touchdown, unfortunately.

He got weather information from the local Met department and also permission from the German aviation authority.

Well done!

Sunrise from the Stratosphere.... HD Footage from 110,000ft on Vimeo

[compressor stall]

This is something I have been wanting to do for a couple of years. I'm just waiting for my boys to get a bit older and a bit more involved.

The trouble is if you head into the outback it's harder to get the signal on your phone as you're out of coverage...

The original one. The $150 Edge-of-Space Camera: MIT Students Beat NASA On Beer-Money Budget | Gadget Lab | Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/09/the-150-space-camera-mit-students-beat-nasa-on-beer-money-budget/)

I haven't checked the CASA regs yet for max payload (c.f. FAA <4lb limit) to see if approval is required.

[mnehpets]

I haven't checked the CASA regs yet for max payload (c.f. FAA <4lb limit) to see if approval is required.


I think for most flights to an "interesting" altitude, you'll need CASA approval on a per-flight basis.

CASR 101 is the relevant set of regulations. The requirements are significantly less complex if you can stay below 2kg, but only if you also keep the balloon diameter below 2m, and as far as I can tell, the 2m limit is difficult to maintain if you want high altitudes and a reasonable payload.

There's at least one successful amateur high altitude balloon in Australia:

http://projecthorus.org/

- S

[Andy_RR]

mnehpets, where does the 2kg payload threshold come from? I can only see a 4kg and a 6kg breakpoint in CASR101

Since a couple of years ago, I have had more than a passing interest in this area, but totally theoretical to date.

From my calcs, the high altitudes are dependent on as large a balloon as possible and the maximum strain characteristics of your balloon elastomer. Most available latex balloons are limited to around the FL1000 point, plus or minus a bit. Surprisingly, hydrogen, while helping a bit, doesn't get you a whole lot more altitude than helium.

The ballon record is around 175000' or so, I think, by the Japanese - it will take some beating!

[compressor stall]

I was just planning to use a standard weather balloon, hopefully swapped for a carton of beer from my met observer mates. Might not the the huge altitudes some are talking here, but would be fun all the same.

[cowl flaps]

Here is a site I've had for a while. Maybe one of the links in the above posts includes this one. Just shows there are some smart cookies out there.

Flight 2 - High ALtitude Object (http://www.natrium42.com/halo/flight2/#hardware)

[Andy_RR]

This (http://members.shaw.ca/sonde/) is the sort of ballooning project I've been working away at, but the rules aren't so friendly to such developments.

Art Vanden Berg's work is pretty amazing especially when you consider he was doing it in 2001. The stuff that is available now makes it much easier, but still not easy!

[mnehpets]

mnehpets, where does the 2kg payload threshold come from? I can only see a 4kg and a 6kg breakpoint in CASR101


Oops. My mistake. As you say, if you can keep payload at 4kg or less and the balloon diameter to 2m or less, then you fall into the light balloon class.