1. SWETrak: High-Altitude Balloon Payload
Chelsea Dutenhoffer
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Arizona Space Grant Symposium
April 19, 2008

2. Arizona Space Grant Symposium
Purpose
Objective
Receive GPS data from satellites
Transmit position and altitude to ground
Requirements
Reusable
Reliable
Light-weight
April 19, 2008
Arizona Space Grant Symposium

3. Arizona Space Grant Symposium
Payload Design
Radio ALINCO DJ-S40
GPS Unit SparkFun Eval Board Trimble Lassen iQ Receiver
Position Encoder Byonics TinyTrak 4
Battery Pack
GPS Antenna & Ground Plane
April 19, 2008
Arizona Space Grant Symposium

4. Arizona Space Grant Symposium
Structure
Foam core inner box
E-glass outer box
Lamp rod attaches payload to balloon
Hole in bottom for radio antenna & ground plane
April 19, 2008
Arizona Space Grant Symposium

5. Arizona Space Grant Symposium
Testing
TinyTrak, Radio, & GPS
Set payload to transmit, then put outside so GPS can acquire data
Use handheld radio connected to Hyperterminal to verify data was received
Temperature test
Held in temperature chamber at -20º F for 30 minutes
Took payload outside and verified data transfer
April 19, 2008
Arizona Space Grant Symposium

6. Arizona Space Grant Symposium
Flight and Recovery
SWETrak
Balloon reached 81,000 ft
GPS problems
GPS data led chase teams to the payloads
All payloads were recovered
April 19, 2008
Arizona Space Grant Symposium

7. Arizona Space Grant Symposium
Future
SWETrak will be checked for loose connections
SWETrak will fly again
Knowledge and experience will be applied toward future payloads
The ultimate goal is to build and launch a student satellite
April 19, 2008
Arizona Space Grant Symposium

8. Arizona Space Grant Symposium
Questions
April 19, 2008
Arizona Space Grant Symposium