The Binar Space Program successfully launched its second High-Altitude Balloon (HAB) in Merredin. This student-led project saw the HAB soar to an altitude of 29.1km, capturing vision of the Earth’s curvature on its way.

Launching HABs furthers Binar’s mission of fostering innovation and skill development within WA’s emerging space sector, providing invaluable experience for its team of staff, PhD and undergraduate students. Furthermore, HABs offer an accessible platform for the program to conduct equipment testing in a near-space environment.

Improving upon the team’s first launch in 2023, the HAB’s location was monitored throughout the flight via a refurbished weather balloon tracker and a GPS tracker for when it touched down. The team was able to quickly locate the payload, trek through the bush to retrieve it and extract the image you see below. The team was ecstatic to see their hard work and contributions pay off when they found the payload in one piece.

The whole process was a great way for students and staff to develop their leadership and technical skills, treating the HAB launch as an analogue to the CubeSat development process Binar is known for. This launch was a first for the collaborative element of HABs as the Earth-imaging startup company QL Space hitched a ride with their prototype camera, capturing a bird’s eye view of the bushes and railways below.

Binar aims to launch more HABs in the future, making the development process more streamlined with experience. The team is looking to collaborate with high schools to send student-designed payloads to the edge of space next.

Congratulations to the Binar Space Program team on their success!