1. BalloonSat Construction Ideas and Suggestions

2. What is a BalloonSat? Functional Model of a Satellite Carried by Balloon to at Least 60,000 Feet Operates Experiments Collects Data Designed for Launch and Descent Conditions Exposed to the Near Space Environment

3. Possible Design Limitations Maximum Weight Experiment Requirements Minimum Amount of Data and Frequency of Data Collection Available Design and Build Time Maximum Dimensions

4. Tools Exacto Knife Metal Straight Edge Right Angle (Triangle or T-Square) Ball Point Pen Felt-tip Marker Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks Files/Emory Board Circle Template Screwdriver/pliers Hot Knife

5. Materials Styrofoam (various thicknesses) Plastic Tubes Plastic Lids Tape Rubber Bands Nuts, Bolts, and Washers

6. Design Considerations Sufficient volume for datalogger and experiments Securely attach components Multiple plastic tubes for tether lines Easy access to interior through hatch(es) Hatch placement on the side of the airframe, not the top where tethers are located Quick and simple hatch closure, using rubber bands Minimize airframe openings to minimize cold air infiltration Minimize bolt hole diameter and use washer and nylock Bolt camera to the airframe Add a battery enclosure No window over camera opening Must function during all phases of the mission

7. Keep in Mind Be aware of design specifications Paper design before cutting Measure twice, cut once Make slots for plastic tubing rather than gluing to surface Watch glue temperature, don’t melt Styrofoam Styrofoam has thickness Let function determine shape of BalloonSat

8. Use a Metal Straight Edge Wood and plastic rulers get nicked and the lines aren’t as straight

9. Use a Sharp Exacto Knife Rough Edge vs Smooth Edge

10. What angle is the Exacto knife held while cutting?

11. Files and Emory Board Smoothes and shapes Don’t inhale Styrofoam dust

12. Cutting Slots Two parallel lines Chip out and file flat

13. Styrofoam has Thickness Take Styrofoam thickness into account when designing the airframe

14. Embed Tubes Embed and glue into place for strength Interior slots for tether tubes and exterior slots for hatches

15. Extend Tether Tubes to Airframe Face Tubes protect Styrofoam from being cut by tether

16. Include Battery Box Confine battery so it doesn’t bounce into instruments inside the BalloonSat Add block of foam rubber inside battery box to fill empty volume and absorb motion

17. Use Four Tether Tubes BalloonSats spin less when they have more than one tether line

18. One or Two Hatches? Can be easier to reach into a BalloonSat with two hatches

19. Permanent Airframe Holes Passes bolts and rubber bands through wall Insert and glue a plastic tube

20. Alignment Blocks on Hatches Positive lock Prevents hatch from sliding around

21. Hatch Closure Stretch rubber band over hatch and wrap around tube extending from airframe

22. Wrap Airframe in Tape Compression helps hold airframe together Adds color to BalloonSat

23. Colored Mailing Tape Lighter than aluminum duct tape Multiple colors

24. Plastic Lids can Shield Sensors from Direct sunlight Bolt to airframe Add air openings

25. Cut Open Tubing Cutting away the tape covering tubes makes it easier to pass the tether

26. Camera Lens Opening Make larger than lens to account for camera’s angle of view Make openings for light meter (if necessary)

27. Darken Camera Openings May prevent glare

28. Testing Weight Test Shake Test Drop Test Cold Test Function Test

29. Tethering BalloonSats Use hook to pull tether through tube

30. Tethering BalloonSats Use split rings to prevent tether from pulling out

31. Tethered BalloonSats

32. The Mission Begins

33. Data Analysis