High altitude airborne developments have presented huge advantages in the US military’s arsenal through: environmental monitoring precision navigation Communication missile warning intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms. However conventional aircraft have a practical upper altitude limit ( ft above the sea level) where engine efficiency greatly diminishes. High-altitude maneuvering lighter-than-air platforms use the principle of buoyancy. These mechanisms became potential platforms for: ISR, precision navigation environmental monitoring communication relays missile warning, and weapon delivery.

 In 2005, the Wright State University High Altitude Balloon Team began its first development of high altitude mechanisms while being funded by the Ohio Space Grant Consortium.  The team, including students, staff and recent graduates, since then has had over 17 successful launches and recoveries over 100,000 feet while being funded by the National Science Foundation.  During these launches, experiments have been conducted containing:  temperature sensors  Cameras  video transmitters/recorders  actuation devices.

 “Ballute aerodynamic decelerators have been studied since early in space age (1960’s), being proposed for aerocapture in the early 1980’s” (Braun).  The Goodyear Aerospace Corporation coined the term “ballute” (a contraction of “balloon” and “parachute” which the original ballute closely resembles) for their cone balloon decelerator in 1962.

Image: Andrews Space, INC Martian atmospheric entry vehicle for NASA

Design parameters include but are not limited to: A maximum weight per payload of six pounds, total of two payloads (per FAA regulations) An altitude parachute deployment of 65,000 feet Design of parachute to withstand a drag of 125 mph GPS, Beacon, and APRS needed to relocate upon re-entry Accelerometer used to record data on free-fall characteristics All components function in a low pressure low temperature environment (1 KPa and -70 degrees Celsius

 Light  Stable  Strong  Impact Absorbent  Modular  Aerodynamic

 Proper Material Selection  Wood  Foam  Carbon Fiber  Proper Shape  Aerodynamic  Smooth All constraints are very related

 Tracking  Command  Data Acquisition

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)

 Modular  Tough  Within Specs

 Bullute launched on May 5 th from Wright State Lake Campus  Flight Prediction showed a landing near Marysville, OH

 Communication Failure  Possible Reasons ▪ Radio ▪ Antenna Failure ▪ Radio Battery Case Failure

 Communication Failure  Possible Reasons ▪ GPS Failure

 Communication Failure  Possible Reasons ▪ Battery Failure

 Performed to determine if batteries died during flight  Calculated total power consumption of all devices  Used V=IR to find current draw on battery pack  Hours battery could operate = Amp hour rating of battery divided by current draw on battery

 Reduced calculated run time by 50%  Accounts for cold operating environment  Main battery pack should have lasted hours  Radio battery pack should have lasted 5-6 hours  Batteries likely did not die

 Flight Predictions

 Balloon Performance  Ascent Rate ▪ ft/min. ▪ Slower than Ideal  Max Alt. ▪ 111,302 ft ▪ School Altitude Record!

 Destination Possibilities  Flooded Field  Lake (most likely)

 Mechanical  Working Modular Design  Electrical  Communication Breakdown  Flight  111,302 ft  Splashdown!  Most Reasonable Result

 Thanks to Bruce Rahn  Thanks to our pilot & launch advisor Nick Baines  Thanks to Mark Spoltman & Josh Horn of Hartzell Propeller  Thanks to Eleanor Mantz for sewing the parachute

 The Ohio Space Grant Consortium  Wright State University Curriculum Development Grant  The National Science Foundation