AHAC 2011 - A multiple payload carrier for high altitude ballooning by Guzik
Channel: Stratospheric Ballooning Association
Date: 2020-07-24

Authors: T. Gregory Guzik (Louisiana State University), S. Brad Ellison (Louisiana State University), Michael Stewart (Louisiana State University), John P. Wefel (Louisiana State University), David Pierce (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), Gabriel Garde (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Abstract
Professional scientific or technical experiments can take three to five years and several million dollars to develop as a standalone balloon payload. Experiments that are low mass and have limited power and telemetry requirements could be clustered on a single balloon payload carrier that provides a standardized power, telemetry and physical interface for each experiment. Such an approach reduces the payload development overburden, so the investigator can focus exclusively on experiment, or subsystem, development and, consequently, can reduce experiment cost and improve turn-around time. Here we report on our experience with the High Altitude Student Platform (HASP), the first balloon carrier specifically designed with a standard interface to support up to 12 independent experiments per flight and the lessons-learned that are applicable to future multiple payload balloon platforms.

Link to paper - https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/ahac/article/id/8133/