MIT'16 EA Tube goes to Near Space!

MIT class of 2016 early action admits - "Hack the Tubes" project.
I decided to send my Tube to the edge of space! I turned it into an Amateur Radio High-Altitude Ballooning project. I used two GPS-equipped ham radio transmitters (APRS) using the callsigns AK4JG-11 (me) and K4ETY-11 (my dad) to send out position packets from the Tube so I could track it on the ground. (The thing I'm soldering in the beginning is one of the trackers.) My dad and I made custom antennas for the radios for the flight. (You see one of them at the bottom of all the footage from the TubeCam.) The camera mounted to the Tube ("TubeCam") for the ride was a GoPro Hero camera, taking 960p HD video. The balloon was an 800 gram weather balloon, filled with Helium.
We launched the payload around 1 pm from Lumpkin, GA on January 16, 2012. The entire flight from launch to landing lasted nearly 2 hours. Maximum altitude was approximately 91,000 feet. It landed just east of I-75 and south of Cordele, GA. Ironically, it decided to land in a small patch of trees surrounded by cotton fields. (We were aiming for the fields.) Luckily, it wasn't very high up and we were able to recover everything safely. It was fun! (:

The background song is "Circuit" by Sonic Adventure Project, courtesy of BeatPick.com.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• MIT
• MIT EA
• Tube
• Hack the Tubes
• hackthetubes
• MIT'16
• MIT Tube
• high-altitude balloon
• high altitude balloon
• ham radio
• GoPro Hero
• GoPro Hero HD
• GoPro HD
• GoPro
• Near Space
• Stratosphere
• Amateur Radio
• AK4JG
• K4ETY
• TubeCam

[maieryosef]

Great use of APRS! Are you planning on participating in W1MX and W1XM?

[virtualErin]

@maieryosef indeed :D

[ThomasWadeFraser]

Is it weird that as an 18 year old nerd I find this girl's ability to get her MIT acceptance letter into near space really sexy? Is that sexy to anyone else? Maybe I'm weird.

Either way, great achievement! And I hope you're ready for a lot of Portal 2 references.

[Vylvan]

SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAACE

[68mics]

Brilliant!

[USFHonorsThesis]

Nice! I hope you get in to MIT.

[nedvideo]

i could do that with my iphone

[pingucatninja]

congrats! this is such an awesome idea. Also happy to see kids with an interest in ham radio.

[geoholt3]

You guys are awesome! The video is well made too, thanks for sharing!

[ductileironbagpiper]

Science and amateur radio have a bright future in this YL. Most excellent AK4JG, and best wishes at MIT.

[heroineworshipper]

Only 200,000 more ft to go.

[WB8ELK]

Well done and nicely edited. This marks the 25th anniversary of the first amateur radio high altitude balloon to the edge of Space. I launched that flight on August 15th, 1987 with film camera, TV transmitter with live video and a 2m FM beacon. This was before cell phones and GPS. We found it the hard way using DF. I still fly about 20 flights a year here in Huntsville, AL. It is great to see students sending up balloons with the latest in technology. Keep up the amazing work. Bill Brown WB8ELK

[173sofia]

THAT IS AWSOME!

[strmridr1959]

Well done young lady, and congratulations for getting into MIT!