BallastHalo

Aim

To test the ballast system espcially the X-valves that we are using on the Atlantic Halo missions.
The mission will use a latex balloon with a small vent in the neck, over time the amount of helium will decrease therefore reducing the lift, this will causes the ascent rate to decrease.
Using the ballast system it should be possible to drop ballast to compensate for the loss of helium causing the balloon and its payload to float.
After a period of time the ballast system will drop the remainder of its ballast which will result in more free lift and the balloon will continue to rise to burst.

Aim is to test the feasibility of putting a vent in a latex balloon
Will use a simple flight computer (arduino, gps, radio, cutdown) and a vent will be constructed that will be placed in the neck of the balloon once it has been inflated. The vent will have a small hole which will allow helium to slowly escape until the ascent rate decreases sufficiently to result in neutral bouyancy and the balloon floating.
Will need to cutdown from the balloon to avoid the balloon descending slowly and causing trouble on landing. On cutdown the balloon will then rise again and burst while the payload descends
Need to descend on a particular flight profile (such as time of day for launch etc)