Swordof

Damocles
High
AltitudeBalloon
Global
Space
BalloonChallengeReport

Latvia2017
 SwordofDamocles

TableofContents
TableofContents 2

1.Team 3

2.ObjectiveandTasks 3

3.Payload 3

4.Launch 3

6.Flight 5

5.Tracking 9

7.RecoveryandConclusions 10

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 SwordofDamocles

1.
Team
Sword of Damocles consists of tree members: Janis, Karlis, Marcis launching HAB for
thefirsttime.

2.
ObjectiveandTasks
All started one year ago with a challenge between team members. Our goal was to
reachstratosphere,takepictures,educateourselvesandshareexperiencetoothers.
We dividedprojectintothefollowingtasks:
Janis-hardware,programming,software,antenna.
Karlis-launchsite,hardware,programming,buzzer,batteries.
Marcis - balloon, helium, parachute, capsule, camera, legal approval, insurance,
back-up,managementandPR.

3.
Payload
Parachute-Rocketman4ft(weight103g).
Custommadecapsulefrompolystyrene,heatresistantandreflectingtapes.
Main system: Habduino (434Mhz radio transmitter, GPS, internal temperature) with
additionalsensorsforpressure,altitudeandexternaltemperature.
Back-up - Samsung Galaxy S4 mini Android smartphone with GPS tracking
application.
Camera-GoPro3+Blackedition.
Buzzer-custommadewithblinkingredlight.
Custommadeantenna.
Totalweight:1100g.

4.
Launch
For flight prediction we used http://predict.habhub.org/. Cosmoprene 600g latex
meteo balloon was filled with helium from a 20l balloon (3,7m3 under 200 bar pressure) using
pressure regulator and custom built tubing with weights to measure appropriate neck lift.
Kids and locals were interested in our project. They were learning by listening, watching and
helping us, see picture 1. HAB was launched as planned - 12:00 (UTC) Wednesday 23 Aug
2017.

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 SwordofDamocles

Picture1.Kidslearningby
listening,watchingandhelpingatlaunchsite.

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6.
Flight
Maxiumumaltitude: 56791
ft.
Distance:72
mi.
Time:
1h
25min.
Maximumexternaltemperature:+19C
Minimum externaltemperature:-29C
Maximuminternaltemperature:+26C
Minimum internal
temperature:0
C
Maximumpressure:100 653Pa
Minimum pressure:8436Pa

Picture2.HABflightvisualizedonamap.

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 SwordofDamocles

Picture3.HABafterlaunch-groundpictureofPure,Latvia.

Picture4.HABbetweenclouds.

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 SwordofDamocles

Picture5.HABinstratosphere.

Picture6.Rocketman4ftparachuteafterballoonburst.

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 SwordofDamocles

Picture7.Balloonleftoversclosetolanding.

Picture8.HABlandingintothetrees.

Latvia 2017 8/10

 SwordofDamocles

5.
Tracking
We weretransmittingtelemetryusingthefollowingradioteletypeconfiguration:
434.650MHz,USB
RTTY,50baud
450Hzshift
ASCII7bits,
noparity,2
stop
bits
Exampleofasignal:
$$SODMLK,46,15:08:20,56.90748,24.00089,00004,5,28,24,101235*36BD
$$ ID, iteration, GPS longitude, GPS latitude, GPS altitude, GPS sattelites, internal temp,
externaltemp, externalpressure *
checksum.
With great support from radio amateurs (YL1VA, YL2CP, YL3AIY, ES5TO, YL3CT,
310LA) we were able to trace HAB on https://tracker.habhub.org/ all the time it was in the air.
Signalwasreceivedandtransferred usingantennasandDL-FLDIGIsoftware.
Back-up system (Android smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4 mini) worked well both at
launchandrecoverysendingGPSdatausingGSM.

Picture9.Payloadandballoonleftovershangingintreesafterlanding.

Latvia 2017 9/10

 SwordofDamocles

7.
RecoveryandConclusions
Mission accomplished. We reached 56791 ft (planned to reach much more). At launch
had a bit of rain drops; filled a bit more helium - these could be couple reasons not reaching
expected. Flight distance was 72 mi and it took 1h 25min. We found payload right after landing
and recovered quite easy (it was hanging in small tree 0.5mi from a road). Buzzer helped a lot to
find it in the woods. All the electronics worked well and batteries lasted more that expected.
Great thanks to all the radio amateurs that were receiving and transferring our signal. We are
lookingforward
tothe
next
Global
SpaceBalloonChallenge.

Picture10.Parachute,capsuleandballoonleftoversaftersuccessfulrecovery.
Latvia 2017 10/10