HABC Today

With a nearly perfect launch to recovery success ratio and having lost only two balloons in the past two years, our club has grown to become a very successful organization through which we can launch any type of payload and have a high probability of success. Our club continues to launch balloons in a week to two week intervals in efforts to perfect balloon flights, set height records, and understand science and engineering in ways that other vehicles are unable to like an airplane or a sounding rocket.

Listed below are some of the many experiments, expeditions, and accomplishments made in this club.

Past and Current Accomplishments

  • Aurora Alaska in collaboration with Project Aether and the University of Houston

    • Experiments
      • Sounds in the Auroras
      • Mass and particle detection
      • Spectrometry
      • Bacteria exposure in the Auroras
      • Plasma detection
      • Time Capsule Launch by buoyant flight
  • Dual Balloon Flights

    • Launching two balloons back to back to observe their respective landing sites.
  • Passive and Active Telemetry using Spot© GPS and Automated Positioning Reporting System

  • Acquiring atmospheric data for analysis

    • Pressure, temperature, and altitude
  • Improving video recording with GoPro© cameras

  • New height record

    • 100482 feet

 

Future Goals

  • Tandem launch

    • Launching two balloons to measure relative properties and establish a line of sight communication between systems.
  • Hydrogen lift fuel approval and use

    •  Autonomous, mobile, and user-friendly launch system
    • Remote launch from safe distances away from hydrogen filled balloon
    • Increase 100,000 feet height probabilities while being lift fuel-efficient
    • Reduce balloon flight expenses
  • Balloon Design: Special and Custom made balloons

    • Longer duration flights (superpressure balloons)
    • Higher achievable altitudes
    • Reduce lift fuel diffusion and leak

 

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