Capsules
Flight 4 capsule. The GoPro camera barely fit in the bottom half. Once we start the recording, we have to screw the halves together which wastes some battery time. We improved this for flight 5. The tape helps with viability on recovery. For flight 4, we added a 360 camera with a 1/4" bolt through the top where the green paracord is in this photo.
Flight 5 capsule. We used spray foam to fill the capsule. We lined the inside with clear film first, so the insulation was removable. Then carefully we carved out areas for each component and battery that would be insulated. This has worked amazing. While it is -70 degrees outside, the temperature inside will stay above freezing. This really helps the lithium batteries preserve their energy. You can see the Go Pro mounts. We reprinted the bottom half with slightly taller sides to allow us to turn the cameras on and start recording after screwing the halves together.
Testing model allowing for a digital camera to point down and remain in place.
Prototype of a GoPro mount attachment. The structure was not strong enough to survive impact.
Our filling apparatus. The dial regulator allows us to control the flow into the balloon. There is a shut off valve and connects to a regulator on the tank. The balloon slides over the pipe for filling. We use electrical tape to hold it in place for filling and then remove the tape and follow the procedures on High Altitude Science for tying off the balloon. Those familiar with rubber-banding a ponytail will find this quite easy.
Flight 3 capsule. You can see the corner that took the impact. It broke the strut and shattered the bottom plate. The Go Pro cameras both broke off on impact. The insulation on top worked well to keep the battery and components warm.