SHARP 1 RESEARCH

SHARP-1 was our first effort to launch, track and recover a payload suspended from a High Altitude weather Balloon (HAB). A 1500 gram helium filled weather balloon lifted SHARP-1 from the Erickson Aerodrome on October 22nd, 2010. Weather conditions were ideal. The payload included a Byonics APRS (automatic packet reporting system) transmitter that was connected to a Garmin 18 GPS receiver. This combination transmitted the altitude and position data which was received by radio amateurs and displayed in near real time via the internet (aprs.fi). The onboard video camera recorded the flight.

The payload was recovered just east of Springstein Manitoba some 3.5 hours later just 18 kilometres from the school in Winnipeg. The video camera was intact and still recording. After retrieving our payload and the memory card from the camera, the team returned to Shaftesbury High School to view the flight video.

The Flight Data

SHARP-1 Data (Excel File)

SHARP-1 Google Earth (KMZ file) 

October 2010