Balloon-sat: A weather balloon used to suspend a simple integrated system consisting of a web-cam payload, a GPS receiver, wireless networking technologies, and other sensors. Balloon-sat will also serve as an integration test platform for future payloads.
The Changes in Altitudes Balloon Satellite Program
The Arizona/NASA Space Grant Changes in Altitudes program, co-sponsored by the NASA Phoenix Scout Mission and managed through the NAU Space Grant program, reaches out to schools throughout Arizona. Students and teachers—primarily from underserved areas of our state—are provided opportunities to become the next generation’s explorers by collaborating with other students and educators to expand their abilities by designing, constructing, and launching their own satellites to the edge of space using high altitude weather balloons. They learn to use GPS technology to locate satellites as they return back to Earth and study the collected scientific data to learn first-hand about the Earth’s atmosphere. Through out, participants are afforded extraordinary opportunities to experience hands-on learning, teamwork, success, accomplishment—and a whole lot of fun!