Exciting news from the PAST team! Our High Altitude Balloon (HAB) is officially scheduled to launch on 28 November, with 27 and 29 November set aside as back-up dates. The launch will take place from Merredin, a town in the Western Wheatbelt roughly midway between Perth and Kalgoorlie.

Over the last two months, our engineers, designers and testers have been working harder than ever to ensure every subsystem is ready for flight. From the chassis and camera to the communication systems and sensors, the HAB is fast becoming launch-ready.

We’ve made significant progress integrating all the components onto our custom chassis. To make sure it can withstand the stresses of flight and recovery, we’ve conducted drop tests. The results have been encouraging, giving us confidence that the HAB can endure whatever the landing has in play for us.

Communication is key at high altitudes. Over the weekend, some of our communications team members carried out range testing of our LoRa (Long Range) system across the Swan River. They achieved a reliable connection at 7.2 km — a big milestone. The next goal is even more ambitious: potentially aa 20 km range test in the coming weeks.

Our on-board camera, Stratos Cam, has been upgraded with a new battery and housing, enabling it to run for over four hours. This means we’ll be able to capture extended footage of the HAB’s journey into the stratosphere — and its spectacular view of Earth below.

Our sun sensor, OSIRIS, has had its final case 3D-printed and its sensor module manufactured. With its microSD card now soldered and operational, OSIRIS is now HAB-ready!

Meanwhile, on the ground, Devon and Liria have been hard at work creating a real-time ground dashboard. This dashboard will display live HAB data, letting the team follow the mission as it happens.

Finally, FISH, our critical flight computer, now has its command protocols fully operational thanks to Garv’s efforts.

With systems integrating smoothly and testing milestones being reached, the countdown to launch day is officially underway. We’ll continue to share updates as we edge closer to sending the HAB skyward. Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes progress as PAST prepares to touch the stars!