Oral Presentation Only

Blending research and teaching through high-altitude balloon projects

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Abstract

Space environment research, remote sensing, meteorology, electronics, computer control, telemetry, power generation, mechanical and electrical engineering, radio propagation, tracking and recovery all come in to play when designing, building, launching, and recovering a near-space payload. Project coordination, finance, and coordinating with government agencies such as the FAA also come into play. Since its inception in 1998, the UND High Altitude Balloon Project has flown over 40 flights with a recovery rate of greater than 90%. In this paper we will cover the history of the project and discuss the progression of a high-altitude balloon mission concept, through the development of the associated mission architecture, design reviews, and the actual flight of the payload. We will focus on the utility of this approach for exposing students to the systems engineering process, and how we have folded high-altitude balloon activities into university courses and student-driven university projects.

How to Cite:

Nordlie, J. & Fevig, R. A., (2011) “Blending research and teaching through high-altitude balloon projects”, Academic High Altitude Conference 2011(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/ahac.8142