ALIEN - ALtitude Imaging Entering Near-space

This is a project run by GCSE students from Reading School, in Reading, UK. The objective of our first flight (ALIEN-1) is to reach an altitude of approximately 36km (~120,000ft) and take photographs of the Earth/space horizon. We will also include two environmental temperature sensors: one external, one internal. Communication will be by one-way radio downlink, with GPS telemetry and temperature data.

For day to day happenings, visit our project blog. All of the project's code is hosted under version control at Google Code.

• Alexander Breton
• Simrun Basuita
• Daniel Richman

• Kaymont Sounding Balloon (probably 1200g)
  • Random Solutions (£55 for 1200g)
• Parachute and lines
  • From Random Solutions (same as balloon supplier)
  • Probably 24”
• Radiometrix NTX2-434.075-10
  • Kindly donated by Radiometrix :)
  • 1/4 wave ground plane antenna constructed
• Lassen iQ GPS Module
  • Module, antenna and cable donated by Electrobee
  • Confirmed as working well.
  • Need female cable from Samtec to connect to the circuitry - Done
• Canon Powershot A560
  • Programmed with CHDK
  • Many thanks to rjharrison for lending us a 16gb SD card
  • UV lens
• Power
  • Lithium Iron DiSulfide (Li/FeS2)
    • 96 (yes, 96!) have been donated by Energizer!
• ATmega162
• Ardunio SD Card adaptor/SPI
• GSM
  • Sony Ericsson T68i
• Helium
  • CU Spaceflight have kindly offered us the use of their helium supply
• Temperature sensors
  • Internal and External
  • DS18S20
    • Got two free 'samples'
• Payload container - Materials
  • Polystyrene cube
  • Cardboard partitions
  • Hot glue gunned

Launch site will almost certainly be Cambridge University (with help from the spaceflight club there). However, all decisions are obviously dependent on the weather.