HAAROB Balloon Project

Mission logo for the HAAROB Project

As promised I will tell you about the HAAROB CBM2012 project, which I have been following through media recently.

This morning another article appeared in newspapers, telling about a test flight being scheduled for tomorrow, 23 June 2012 at 10.00 AM local time.

This launch was added to Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning Mission Announcements Website (see here).

The launch tomorrow can be considered to be the final test of the communication interfaces on board of the balloons that are planned to be launched on 07.07.2012. The test will show if the APRS equipment, which was developed by the local HAMs is working in the expected parameters. With about the size of a pack of smokes and the overall weight of 150 grams the equipment used tomorrow will be rather light-weight compared to the size of the 2 balloons that will start in July.

According to Meinhard F Guenther (DL2MF) the final weight of the balloons will be 700-800 grams.

2 scientific payloads will be sent to close-orbit high altitude, and both experiments aim to investigate the effects of high-altitude radiation on organisms. The first balloon which is scheduled for launch at 10.00 AM MESZ on 07.07.2012 will carry a project developed by Pia, a student of the Christian-Gymnasium-Hermannsburg, who is active in the “jugend-forscht AG” (a voluntary group of students participating in science activities with the purpose of entering the German “jugend forscht” Contest that awards outstanding projects of young scientists). The project of Pia will expose moss samples to high altitude radiation. Once the balloon and “payload” has been retrieved Pia will investigate the samples on effects caused by the radiation exposure.

The second balloon will carry the project developed by Heidelberg University. A mini-lab with cell-samples will be exposed to the high altitude radiation.

Whereas the 1st launch will provide position reports through APRS (144.8 MHz) and a synthesized voice system on 144,2 MHz, the second launch will only provide an APRS data stream on 144,8 MHz.

To make sure that the balloons are found in the terrain of their landing site, a total of up to 5 mobile teams will chase the balloons and return them to the launch site.

Summary of information: