Secunda radio amateurs succesfuly launch balloon

SECUNDA – The Secunda Amateur Radio Club, with Mr Christo Kriek as the Bacar team coordinator, successfully launched a high altitude weather balloon from the Trichardt Model Flyers Airfield in the early hours of Saturday, 15 October.

When asked what their goal was with these annual high altitude balloon launches, Mr Kriek explained: “We wish to expose local pupils to the practical aspects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) to allow them to experience in a practical sense the theory of what they learn in school.

“Secondly, we do this to enhance and promote the hobby of being a radio amateur.

“We also hope to increase our knowledge and abilities to reliably launch and then retrieve payloads, with the aim of testing flight proven space hardware and research instrumentation.”

The participants also get exposure to the South African National Space Agency (Sansa) and various universities that open potential opportunities for the pupils.

“Who knows, maybe in future we will launch our own Cube satellite into space.”

According to Mr Lele Nshuba from Sansa who was there to oversee their own payload, the object of Sansa’s research is to learn more about atmospheric gasses and pressures at altitude.

An important part of such a launch is the recovery of the payloads afterwards, because without the instrumentation and measurements the teams cannot learn anything.

The payloads were all fitted with GPS transmitters and beacons and there were three chase cars that were ready to recover the payloads once they had parachuted to earth.

“Our preparation paid off and every single payload was recovered.

“It was a successful flight with a lot of useful information gathered.”

Mr Kriek made it clear that being a radio amateur could be an exciting and rewarding hobby for people of all ages.

“The public can become involved by influencing their children to become part of the program and to support the program.

“For more information about amateur radio, contact the Secunda Radio Amateur Club by sending an e-mail to secradio@secradio.org.za.

“You can also visit our website at www.secradio.org.za and our Secunda weather site at www.secundaweather.co.za.”

In order for this program to reach its full potential, the Secunda Radio Amateurs Club needs sponsors who are passionate about furthering Stem education for school children.

“Monetary sponsorship is always the easiest, but we need a fast Internet connection at the base station, as well as electronic components, including three desktop PCs and screens.

“We also need promotion material for before, during and after the launch as well as media coverage.

“We need two of those old 2m or bigger DSTV dish antennas and material to build stands and rotators for them.

“Finally, we also need to buy the special high altitude balloons to launch the payloads.

“These balloons expand up to 12m in diameter before they burst in outer space and can lift it up to 40km into space.”