This project is intended to satisfy curiosity. If it becomes something else, then so be it.
The end-game is to put up an autonomous drone as high as possible and return it back by gliding / minimal propulsion.

Anyone who wants to join this project may contact Michael Pede (mpede.code.laureate@gmail.com)

This project will have three parts

• GPS guided Drone
• High altitude Balloon
• High altitude Drone release

There are a few reasons I want to have a payload that glides to a controlled area.

• Canada is big. It can easily drift to some unpopulated area the would require a multi-day hike to retrieve.
• The US of A is South. They may not take kindly to things referred to as “payloads” overhead.
• I have friends and family to the East. With their help, retrieval can be made easier. It would be cool to eventually drop things for my friend in Alberta to retrieve!

Progress Blog

The drone may be the easiest part.

I'm going to break it down into the following steps

1. Get a glider
2. Learn to fly
3. Get drone hardware
4. Fly the drone
5. Use a Ground Control Station to remotely fly the drone.

Although in Canada, I presume that there shouldn't be too many differences between building a launch system here as in the U.K.

I will also be trying to stand on the shoulders of the HALO project.

1. Build the payload
2. Launch and record data
3. Rinse and repeat

I don't presume that it will be as simple as attaching the Drone to the Payload. That would be nice though.

1. Launch Drone electronics
2. Launch Drone in entirety
3. Build a Drone/HAB combined payload
4. Test Hybrid done as a standalone flier
5. Launch Hybrid Drone

• Python-based GPS tracker.
• Radar