High-Level Project Summary
Space seems a very far and difficult activity, even High Altitude Ballonning.We are proposing to develop an App which could guide the user (from middle schoolers to elder people) across all the process to make a succesfull launching of their own low cost HAB, and reach the near space (20 km at least).This App, will have numerous tabs with lessons, each one addressing subjects as planning, preparation, launch, tracking, and recovery . Including mission planning, generating a bill of materials, links to tracking and weather resources.It solves the challenge because will give to anyone the chance to access the space near them, destroying barriers and inspiring new generations.
Link to Project "Demo"
Link to Final Project
Detailed Project Description
Our App provides a step by step (based on a lesson plan) guide to build a low cost HAB.
Connect the user with the software needed to get information useful for mission planning, proposed experiments previously uploaded, bill of materials, list of posible providers, weather information, prediction software; as well as tracking software, in other words, we compile all the information and tool needed to launch a low cost HAB without any previous knowledge or experience.
We intended to use:
https://www.smartsheet.com/ to generate bill of materials
https://manage.wix.com/ to create our app
http://weather.uwyo.edu/upperair/balloon_traj.html trajectory predicting software
https://pocketfinder.com/ Tracking in real time the payload (it only works when the balloon pops up and are in the reentry phase)
https://www.icao.int/Meetings/UAS/Documents/Circular%20328_es.pdf ICAO rules for flying unmanned objects
Space Agency Data
First we used the resources provided by NASA and space apps web page and explore the NASA's Scientific Balloon Program. In order to know the past experiences in student HAB Projects, the items needed to build a HAB, how far they can fly and what they are intended to do. In other words, the state of the art.
Then we search for a matrix which show us how the altitude, weight, flight duration could be related. this information was found in the NASA's Balloon Operational Support Capability chart. https://www.nasa.gov/scientific-balloons/types-of-balloons
The Balloon Flight Application Instructions (OF-300-11-H) showed us what considerations we need to have for balloon flight operations.
Finally we used HAB photographs published in NASA websites in order to create a more inspirational slideshow.
Hackathon Journey
Great opportunity to challenge myself and learn new knowledge, as well as explore data from NASA repositories which i didn´t know.
Also discover new areas of interest.
References
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-mission-will-study-the-cosmos-with-a-stratospheric-balloon
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/explorers_balloons.html
https://www.csbf.nasa.gov/balloons.html
https://www.nasa.gov/scientificballoons
https://engineering.stanford.edu/magazine/article/students-show-low-cost-balloons-can-do-real-high-altitude-studies
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/11180/111807J/Stratospheric-balloons--low-cost-platforms-for-science-and-technology/10.1117/12.2536190.full?SSO=1
https://www.hobbyspace.com/NearSpace/index.html
Tags
#app #HAB #Space4all #democratizingspace #lessonplan
Global Judging
This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.