Balloon-1 is Kentucky Space’s first high-altitude balloon project. The main purpose of the Balloon-1 project was to teach the KYSat08 team the importance of mission critical operations by using a low cost, low risk high-altitude balloon. This teaching opportunity was also extended to middle school students as they launched PearlSats. Team members worked closely with Bill Brown of High Altitude Research Corporation of Huntsville, Alabama to gain technical knowledge and advice.
Mission Summary:
Balloon-1 was launched on Sunday, July 14, 2008 at 12:26 P.M. Central Time from Bowling Green Airport in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The balloon ascended to the edge of space, 91,277ft, and recorded the magnetic field, acceleration, pressure, GPS coordinates, and temperature throughout the whole mission. During the flight, ham radio operators from all over Kentucky and several other states were able to talk to the students over a simplex repeater. The balloon did not follow its predicted flight path and landed several miles away from its predicted landing site. The payload was recovered undamaged from a farm near Scottsvile, Ky by one of our chase teams consisting of Tyler Doering, Dan Erb, Sam Hishmeh and Jason Bratcher.