Student-built balloon circles the globe twice
The university-community K7UAZ Amateur Radio Club meets weekly to design wireless communication systems and connect with fellow radio enthusiasts worldwide.
The University of Arizona K7UAZ Amateur Radio Club's balloon project recently took a slow and inexpensive tour of the world. The project, a solar-powered high-altitude balloon, has circled the globe twice since its launch on March 22.
The project, known as StratoCat, was a small balloon measuring a few feet across that carried a lightweight solar-powered radio transmitter high into the atmosphere. Amateur radio operators around the world were able to receive the signal from the balloon and upload data on its location to enable real-time tracking.
The successful launch followed a failed attempt last fall, which prompted the team to analyze their design and refine it.
“It was disappointing,” said club treasurer Briana Curley, an ECE senior. “But we just kept trying.”
Rather than stall, the team leaned into the experience, holding a full failure analysis and redesigning key elements of the system. That approach paid off. After a March 22 launch, one balloon successfully entered the jet stream and has since completed two laps around the Earth.
“Projects like this teach you more than engineering,” said Curley. “They teach you how to solve problems, trust your team and keep going when things don’t work the first time.”