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“Record high altitude weather balloon data with the ultimate high altitude weather balloon data logger. A high altitude weather balloon, also known as a high altitude balloon or hab is a huge balloon filled with helium. These balloons are a platform. Allowing experiments, data collectors, anything to go to near space. Balloons frequently reach heights of 80,000 feet with some going over 100,000 feet. A hab typically has a payload containing a parachute, radar reflector, and a package. The package typically contains a camera and a gps unit used to track and recover the balloon. As the balloon gains altitude, the pressure drops. With less pressure against the balloon, the balloon expands, eventually becoming so large, it pops! The parachute then returns the payload back to the ground, often many miles from where the balloon was launched. My school uses these balloons regularly to capture video of the curvature of the earth. I noticed no data was being collected on these flights. With extreme temperature and pressure changes, large amounts of radiation, and wind speed, lots of interesting data can be captured from these flights. This project began four years ago with a socratic seminar about space. The seminar acted as inspiration. My peers decided they wanted to reach space. Touch the untouchable. They decided the way to reach space would be with weather balloons. Skip ahead four years later and we have launched 16 balloons. 15 have been recovered which is a very impressive track record for weather balloon retrievals. This year, I started high school and joined the weather balloon launching team. When I realized no data was being recorded, I set out to change that. My first data logger was The Easiest Arduino High Altitude Balloon Data Logger. This new version captures more data, earning it the title of ultimate. With this, altitude, temperature, wind speeds, ascent and descent rates, latitude, longitude, time, and date is captured and stored on a microSD card. This version also uses perf board to increase durability and lower risk. The design is made so that an Arduino Nano can be plugged in on top. The data collected from this data logger allows us, students to touch the edge of space. We can touch the untouchable!”

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