HAB Altitude vs. Time Data and Graphs via GPS & APRS
- SHARP-1 Mission Data & Graph 2010 (Excel)
- Fort Richmond Mission 2 Data & Graph 2016 (Excel)
- Garden City Collegiate Mission 2 Data & Graph 2016 (Excel)
Three significant forces act on the HAB as it ascends. They are boyuant force, weight and drag. As the balloon rises it expands and the HAB's cross sectional area increases. However, the density of the air decreases as altitude increases. Overall, there is a good balance between the upward boyant force and the downward forces of weight and drag. On the descent, the significant forces are weight and drag. As you can see from the graph above, drag increases as the altitude decreases. Calculate the speed of ascent and compare the speeds at the beginning of the descent with the speed near the end of the descent.