We are now in the final stages of development for CAPE’s second balloon project. The PCB and circuitry have already been developed. It’s now down to final software testing/integration and structure build.

Today was the second work day, and we accomplished alot yesterday and today. We were able to get the temperature sensors up and running, finalize the On Board Computer (OBC) code, and we saw GPS data transmitted from the board to the ground station over the air. We started building the outer housing, and cut some styrofoam to fit. We even took a few test pictures, and the cameras are working perfect.

For the outer structure itself, a sturdy cardboard box has been chosen. We’re using 1in. thick Powerfoam Insulation cut to size to insulate the interior of the box.

There was styrofoam everywhere..

A few measurements were taken, and the backing of the foam was cut using a utility blade.

Here’s a completed picture of the bottom insulation cut to size, with a hole for the earth-facing camera.