Browse sections: Home | Photos | Videos | Flight Path | The Payload | About the Project
The Payload
This first launch was a lightweight payload of around 520 grams, containing:
- Canon digital camera, with custom firmware to provide time-lapse photography;
- GPS and altimeter that transmitted the balloon's location and altitude using the amateur radio Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS);
- Radio beacon to assist with directional location by the recovery crews; and
- Mobile phone, to provide additional location information and pictures.
- Future launches will include additional high-resolution cameras, and more advanced tracking and release mechanisms
Behind the Scenes
For a more detailed look at how the rig is setup, how recovery worked, etc - check out this video.
Flight 1: Behind the Scenes (12:49, 86MB)
<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-text="Check out the videos of KiwiSpace's helium balloon launch above Waikato, and the photos returned. " data-count="horizontal" data-via="nzspace">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br/>
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href&layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=180&action=like&font&colorscheme=light&height=80&href=http://www.kiwispace.org.nz/display/EOS/The
Payload" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:180px; height:80px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe>
KiwiSpace Foundation is a new non-profit organisation seeking to make space accessible to New Zealanders.
Get involved, and become a Supporting Member for only $30/year.
Want to get involved?
We hope to do a series of launches involving schools in the future. If you're a teacher, student, sponsor or enthusiast and interested in helping out with future launches, please get in touch.