High Altitude Ballooning: A Physics Experience For Undergraduate Students

POSTER

Abstract

High altitude ballooning is a popular scientific activity for colleges and high schools. In this three week summer project, four undergraduate students designed and constructed a helium balloon that lofted a 3.0 kg payload to 26500 m. An Arduino Mega acted as flight computer, recording GPS position, temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity during the three hour flight. The payload also carried a digital camera and GPS receiver/satellite phone to transmit locations. The payload was successfully recovered and the data analyzed by the students. This project was an ideal activity for students to learn about measurement and analysis of data and an introduction to atmospheric physics.

Authors

  • Timothy Stiles

    Monmouth College

  • Jatinder Kumar

    Harvard U., Baker University, Bejing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northrop Grumman, Baltimore, MD, University of Kansas Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, College of Materials Science \& Engineering, Sichuan University, China, Illinois State University, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College of London, Holmbury St. Mary, United Kingdom, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, Monmouth College, Missouri State University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Ames Laboratory. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Siena College, \'Ecole Polytechnique F\'ed\'erale de Lausanne, Switzerland, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kansas State University, Purdue University, Princeton University, Oklahoma State University, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Kansas, University of Kansas and University of Iowa

  • Jatinder Kumar

    Harvard U., Baker University, Bejing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northrop Grumman, Baltimore, MD, University of Kansas Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, College of Materials Science \& Engineering, Sichuan University, China, Illinois State University, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College of London, Holmbury St. Mary, United Kingdom, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, Monmouth College, Missouri State University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Ames Laboratory. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Siena College, \'Ecole Polytechnique F\'ed\'erale de Lausanne, Switzerland, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kansas State University, Purdue University, Princeton University, Oklahoma State University, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Kansas, University of Kansas and University of Iowa

  • Jatinder Kumar

    Harvard U., Baker University, Bejing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northrop Grumman, Baltimore, MD, University of Kansas Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, College of Materials Science \& Engineering, Sichuan University, China, Illinois State University, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College of London, Holmbury St. Mary, United Kingdom, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, Monmouth College, Missouri State University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Ames Laboratory. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Siena College, \'Ecole Polytechnique F\'ed\'erale de Lausanne, Switzerland, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kansas State University, Purdue University, Princeton University, Oklahoma State University, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Kansas, University of Kansas and University of Iowa

  • Jatinder Kumar

    Harvard U., Baker University, Bejing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northrop Grumman, Baltimore, MD, University of Kansas Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Kansas State University, Department of Chemistry, College of Materials Science \& Engineering, Sichuan University, China, Illinois State University, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College of London, Holmbury St. Mary, United Kingdom, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, Monmouth College, Missouri State University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Ames Laboratory. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Siena College, \'Ecole Polytechnique F\'ed\'erale de Lausanne, Switzerland, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kansas State University, Purdue University, Princeton University, Oklahoma State University, University of Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Kansas, University of Kansas and University of Iowa