Optimal equipment for your weather balloon start

» OPTIMAL EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR STRATOSPHERE MISSION «

Which weather balloon should I choose? What is the purpose of the datalogger? Which is the right parachute for my payload? What a bunch of questions! We help you to put together your best equipment for your mission.

Weather Balloon: The “drive” for your stratospheric probe

The helium-filled weather balloons differ in their size and so do their properties. For example, a weather balloon 800 can carry 800g payload at heights of up to 30,000 meters. A weather balloon 2000, however, is designed for higher altitudes and payloads, so you can hereby send up to 2000g in up to 38,000 meters altitude. To find the optimal weather balloon for you, you should ask yourself the following questions:

Payload: How heavy will my probe and equipment be? How many cameras should my balloon carry with it? Do I want to take experiments on board?
Hight: How high do i want my probe to ascend?


Weather balloon 800	Weather balloon 1600	Weather balloon 2000	Weather balloon 3000
Payload up to: 800g	Payload up to: 1600g	Payload up to: 2000g	Payload up to: 3000g
Maximum height: 30.000m	Maximum height: 36.000m	Maximum height: 38.000m	Maximum height: 40.000m

Parachute: To ensure a smooth descent
For different payloads we provide you with two different parachutes. These differ in their payload. So, the parachute 2500, produced by us, is ideal for payloads between 800g and 2500g, should your camera probe be lighter than 800g, the parachute 800 is perfectly adequate for your mission.


	Parachute 800	Parachute 2500
Diameter:	107cm	120cm
Weight:	70g	ca. 80g
Payload:	up to 800g	800g – 2500g

GPS Tracker: Locate the Landing Site of Your Probe
The GPS tracker ensures precise positioning and is responsible for helping you retrieve your equipment, including video footage and measurement data. A reliable GPS tracker is crucial for the success of your space mission. We offer two distinct systems that can be used individually or even combined, providing maximum security for a successful localization of your stratospheric probe.

GPS Tracker STRATOfinder:
Precise Localization for Stratospheric Flights
The GPS tracker STRATOfinder has been specifically designed by Stratoflights for stratospheric flights. By using the free Stratoflights app, you can receive real-time position data from the STRATOfinder, enabling you to locate your stratospheric probe with an accuracy of up to 5 meters. A standout feature of the STRATOfinder is its GPS antenna, three times larger than conventional devices, ensuring the highest level of security even in challenging terrains.

Another advantage is the integrated STRATOsim card in the STRATOfinder. Traditional GPS devices require selecting a SIM card from a mobile network provider, which can lead to issues in unfamiliar landing areas and rural regions. On the other hand, the STRATOsim card automatically connects to the best available mobile network in the landing region, regardless of borders or countries worldwide. With global mobile coverage and a powerful GPS antenna, the STRATOfinder offers maximum security.

Simply navigate to your probe’s landing site using the integrated route function in the Stratoflights app. Trust the STRATOfinder GPS Tracker for precise localization and a successful mission.

SPOT Trace: In particularly challenging areas such as high mountains or the open sea, where mobile network coverage is often unavailable, the GPS tracker SPOT Trace proves to be an extremely useful addition. The SPOT Trace operates independently of the mobile network and communicates directly with GPS satellites, making it a true survival device. It transmits its position data almost in real-time, even at high altitudes, which makes it especially valuable for missions where live flight tracking is essential.

If you want to set up a mission control for your endeavor and monitor your probe’s flight route in real-time, the SPOT Trace is an ideal complement to the STRATOfinder.

Both GPS trackers can be combined to ensure maximum security. The STRATOfinder excels in precise and reliable localization after landing, while the SPOT Trace shines with its transmission capabilities at higher altitudes. Together, they form an unbeatable team for your mission to the edge of space.

This is how the SPOT Trace works:

This is how the GPS Tracker STRATOfinder works:

Space Cam: Reliable camera for a weather balloon flight
Most available cameras are not suited to the extreme conditions of the stratosphere. Even large, well-known manufacturers have problems producing a camera that reliably captures the spectacular view from the edge of space in the stratosphere. One reliable camera for stratospheric flight is the Space Cam. The compact action cam is robust, lightweight and captures impressive footage from the edge of space for you with its video settings and image quality. The built-in image stabilizer also creates smoother footage, so you get impressive video of the dark of space and the blue of our earth.

Batterypack: Provide your camera with enough electricity for the entire flight:
The internal battery of your camera or the commercially available battery packs are not designed for the extreme temperatures of the stratosphere of up to -65°C. To ensure that your camera actually films recordings from 40,000 metres and the entire landing, you need a battery pack that works reliably in this extreme environment and supplies sufficient energy. For this purpose, we provide you with a high-quality and reliable batterypack. Only high-quality materials are used for the Batterypack, which is developed and produced in Germany and therefore differs significantly from conventional batterypacks that everyone has at home as a promotional gift or from the supermarket. Thanks to its high-quality battery cells and good insulation, our Batterypack provides your camera with reliable energy even in the extreme environment of the stratosphere, so that your camera records the entire space flight.

Special cord: connect weather balloon, parachute and probe
The cord, which is used to connect your weather balloon to parachute and probe, has to meet certain requirements in Germany. Legislators specify a maximum tensile strength of 230 N here. Our special cord meets all requirements and is therefore ideal for stratospheric missions.

Datalogger: Record your own data of your flight
With the Datalogger STRATO4 you can reveal the secret to the achieved altitude and record further data such as air pressure, humidity, temperature, GPS position and create a 3D flight curve. The data is recorded by the sensor of the datalogger every two seconds and stored on a micro SD card and can be evaluated easily after the flight. If you are only interested in your altitude and at what speed your probe has been on the way, the Datalogger STRATOmini will be enough for you.


	Datalogger STRATOmini	Datalogger STRATO4
Maximum Height:	50.000m	50.000m
Measured Temperature Range Ext.:	–	-55°C up to + 85°C
Measured Temperature Range Int.:	–	-40°C up to + 85°C
Pressure Range:	–	10 – 2000 mbar
Humidity:	–	0 – 100%
Recording Rate:	0,5 Hz	0,5 Hz
Dimensions:	48 x 37 x 8mm	100 x 60 x 12 mm (3.9 x 2.4 x 0.5 Inch)
Weight (without batteries);:	ca. 13g	ca. 72g (2.5oz)
Weight (including batteries)::	ca. 58g	ca. 116g (4.1oz)

Helium or balloon gas: This will lift offyour weather balloon
To fill your weather balloon, you can use either helium or balloon gas. The latter consists of about 95% helium and is usually sufficient for your mission. You can get the gas at gas dealers in your region, but also in DIY chains such as “Hornbach”. The gas must then be filled on the starting day via a cylinder pressure reducer in your weather balloon. You lend the equipment, alternatively we provide a bottle pressure reducer to you.

The worry-free package for a successful mission: the Weather Balloon Kit
The following video presents the contents of our professional set. The Weather Balloon Kit is our all-round carefree package and contains everything, except balloon gas, you need for a successful flight to the stratosphere. As a special extra, the Weather Balloon Kit comes with a detailed manual, which not only guides you step by step through the mission, but also contains some tips & tricks for sensational shots from the edge of the universe.

Especially for Teachers: Teaching unit: Stratosphere Flight with worksheets and solution sheets
Are you a teacher starting your mission as part of a school project week or in science classes? The Teaching unit: Stratosphere Flight offers you everything you need for a perfect project week: worksheets and solution sheets, didactic course plans, written project applications, plenty of tips & tricks and much more! Enthuse your students with this adventurous learning experience for science and start your research mission to the edge of space with the ready-to-teach Teaching unit: Stratosphere Flight!