Horizon balloon chosen to promote maths and science

The UK Department for Education has selected the Horizon balloon project to feature in the department’s Your Life campaign to promote studies in math and science. Pupils at the Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall built the payload that transmitted FSK RTTY telemetry data on 434.075MHz. The weather balloon reached an altitude of close to 115,000 feet before bursting. The payload then safely parachuted back to Earth, where the students were able to retrieve some stunning still images and video taken in near-space. The telemetry transmitter could be received over most of the British Isles and radio amateurs were able to track the balloon’s progress from the transmitted GPS data. The Horizon team used a Yaesu FT-817 transceiver to receive the signal from the balloon and dl-fldigi software to decode it. Among those supporting the project were Yaesu and Rapid Electronics.

Category: GB2RS Headlines