Space Systems Laboratory

HAMSTER (Balloon-2)

HAMSTER (High Altitude Multi-payload Student Teaching and Educational Resource) is Kentucky Space’s latest high-altitude balloon mission, successfully launched April 17, 2011.  This balloon carried a variety of payloads to capture images from space, test avionics for future balloon missions, and a new avionics payload system developed by a University of Kentucky Senior design team.

Launch Location Date Time GPS Coordinates
Jacobson Park
4001 Athens-Boonesboro Rd.
Lexington, KY 40509
Launched and recovered
April 17, 2011
8:00AM 37.986391, -84.424998

Flight Path:

Frequencies of Transmitting Hardware:

Radio Frequency Power Data Call Sign
APRS Beacon 144.39 MHz 300 mW GPS Coordinates KK4AJI-11
Simplex Voice Repeater 447.15 MHz 2 W HAM voice repeater KJ4HVJ-11
CW Beacon 146.65 MHz 50 mW Morse Beacon KI4KXM-11
Senior Design Payload 902-928 MHz FH55 100 mW GPS and Exp. Telemetry