High Altitude Balloon Experiments

including

Red Anvil Project

RISE is setting up the infrastructure to enable high altitude (100,000 ft) balloon experiments that will take small payloads up to the rim of space. Annual launches are planned. To date we have assisted Heritage College in a successful balloon launch and a group of volunteer Aeronautics and Astronautics and Earth and Space Science students are developing a high alitutde glider (the Red Anvil) that is slated for launch in Sept. 2004. Improved systems are planned for launch in 2005. In you are interested drop us a line.
  

heritage students
 heritage launch
Heritage Students preparing balloon launch
 Successful launch under clear skies with payload and parachute attached


The Red Anvil Project is to develop a high altitude glider from scratch that will be dropped from  70,000 ft and is required to fly under radio control back to the launch site. Students have to design the  airframe, gyro-control, servos, data handling, computer and radio downlink. So there is much to do requiring a broad range of expertise. At this time, the air frame has been constructed using lightweight balsa wood with monocoat fabric. The software for the remote control of the servos has been developed. Software development for the gyro-control is still under development.

 
air frame
 airframe completed
 flight computer
Glider airframe showing wing construction.
 Complete of the glider, named the Red Anvil.
 Installation of remote computer system into glider