1. Communication With a High Altitude Balloon Team HAB-Comm: Ryan OvermanBrian Thomas Thomas RawlsTrenton Katter

2. Agenda Introduction – Thomas Rawls Background – Trenton Katter Challenges and Proposed Solutions – Ryan Overman Schedule and Resources – Brian Thomas Summary – Thomas Rawls Questions

3. Background WSU’s High Altitude Balloon project: – Began in 2005 and has received funding through NASA, AFRL, the National Science Foundation, and the Ohio Space Grant Consortium. – It is multi-disciplinary. – It is interested in studying near-space and its potential applications.

4. What is “Near-Space?” Near-space is a region of our atmosphere between 65,000 and 350,000 ft. The air is thin, dry, and cold.

5. Common Altitudes

7. Previous Groups Have: Previous Successes include: o A controlled ground antenna. o Ability to transmit video from air-to- ground. o Development of a Software Defined Radio system that can be used for air-to-ground communication. o Others

8. Our Objective To develop a reliable ground-to-air communication system and demonstrate its functionality by releasing a package on command.

9. Can a High Altitude Balloon serve as an emergency communications platform?

10. Our Scope Our scope does NOT include: - integrating the two communication systems. - designing the release mechanism. - responsibility for steering the ground antenna. Our scope is limited to: - designing the electronics to reliably receive a signal at the balloon at a height of 100,000 ft. and a radius of 100 miles.

11. Approach Licensed Ham Operation – Each member of HAB-Comm capable of operating radio transmission Ground test – 1 mile transmission at 4kbps with line of sight – Calculate theoretical power for implementation Launch balloon

12. Challenges Noise – Spectrum analysis from balloon in near-space – Frequency hopping communication system – Device on balloon selects quiet frequency, transmits accordingly – Balloon antenna modification possibility Temperature – Select previously-tested electronic components

13. Results Reliable Ground-to-air communication system installed – Allows future ME and EE teams to install control systems on the balloon – Future implementation of an integrated two-way communication device Significant step towards emergency system implementation

14. Resources Personnel Facilities and Equipment

15. Personnel HAB-Comm is comprised of 4 undergraduate electrical engineering students with varied background. Multiple Wright State University Professors as consultants: Dr. Wu (EE), Dr. Slater (ME), Dr. Gallagher (CEG)

16. Facilities and Equipment HIBAL Laboratory located in Russ 018 Transmit/Receive Antenna on the roof of Russ Python/Linux based PCs 50 W Power Supply of transmitting Wiki Page running for 8 years documenting all previous launches

17. Project Costs Fiscal Time

18. Fiscal Receiver/Transmitter broadcasting HAM frequencies Batteries RF Amplifier Misc electronics

19. Time Frame Research and selection of electronic components –Sept 27 th, 2013 Design and test transmitter/receiver combo – Nov 15 th, 2013 Deliver a status report – Dec 6 th, 2013 Communication device on balloon and launched – Jan 31 st, 2014 Reconfigure device and second launch – March 16 th, 2014 Deliver final presentation with results – April 21 st, 2014

20. Design Considerations To develop a system that operates amidst ambient noise and extremely low temperatures. Investigation: – Clever filter design – Power amplification – Frequency hopping – Utilization of the air to ground communication – Antenna design/control

21. Summary Develop reliable communication system – Possible control of the release of the package Implement a cost effective system – Cheap, reliable emergency communication system Aid future HIBAL groups

22. The End