With the recent surge of interest in space with New Horizons (NASA's mission to Pluto) and hobbyists enthusiasm for launching their own balloons for increased observation and experiment runs, the CaSGC in conjunction with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), will be exhibiting Near Space Ballooning, unmanned balloons involving using a latex weather balloon, usually filled with Helium, to carry payloads through the Earth's atmosphere to very high altitudes, up to 100,000 feet. Payloads typically include command systems (such as GPS receivers and radio transmitters) and experiments designed for testing in near-space environments. Many balloons also include cameras to take pictures of the ground, space, or the curvature of the earth. The exhibit will feature ballooning hardware, various payloads the balloon can carry including Arduino sensor kits, posters introducing Near Space Ballooning (what it is), instructions on how-to-build one, and how to launch. Videos of recent launches during the previous year will also be presented. Demos of assembling one will be provided.
