Pegasus High Altitude Balloon Project

Ideas

Basically a random list of ideas and projects that I'm generally thinking about in an attempt to waste time! Please feel free to use/solve/ignore them. If you ever want to discuss any of them further just email me : jacoxon@googlemail.com or contact me on #highaltitude on chat.freenode.net.

• Amateur Satellite at ~70,000ft
  • Maintain position around a zone of gps co-ordinates, could be used as a system of emergency communications e.g. disaster zone, within 2 or 3 hours you could have it up and it would cover a fair area for perhaps photography or communications
  • From what I understand above the jet stream there doesn't seem to be much movement (however I really haven't researched this much - please do point me in the right direction if I have got it wrong) so we won't have "that much" drift
  • Perhaps use compressed air as propulsion to maintain position (though would be a limiting fuel)
  • obviously solar panels - due to the height they would be far more efficient then on the surface
  • Perhaps use normal balloon to provide the lift to get the payload/satellite into position
  • Due to the gradual lost of He from the standard balloons perhaps use a metallic balloon or have a helium canister onboard to refill to maintain altitude. The other alternative is to have ballast (such as water of compressed air) which can then be vented/dropped to maintain altitude
• 802.11b/g Wifi communication system
  • see Pegasus IV for more information on base station and tracking
• "Rockoons"
  • not a new idea but could potentially increase the altitudes attained by amateurs quite considerably.
  • To provide a stable platform for launch could use 4 balloons attached with a cross shapped frame from which the rocket could be launched.
  • Apparently solid fuel engines don't require atmospheric oxygen + the reduction in air density will reduce drag allowing the rocket to get even higher.
  • Equip the rocket with gps/phone and parachute. Have the payload launch the rocket once it gets to a particular altitude, camera facing up to record launch.
  • Balloon payload/launch frame would require simultanous cut downs
  • 2 teams, one to recover payload and second to recover the rocket
  • Or don't have a launch frame and instead have the payload as a rocket itself, somehow have the rocket itself launch when the balloon bursts and also cut off the remains of the balloon.

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