High Altitude Balloons Team

2026-09-13T12:50:14Z

Iaditya: Updates projects (present & past) and formatted the past coleads section.

[[File: BalloonSelfie.png|left|frame|A photo of the edge of space, taken by [[SSI-23]], Gemini]]
The Balloons team constructs and launches High Altitude Balloons (HABs)! We predominantly launch Latex balloons, and have experimented with zero-pressure balloons (ZPBs) and cellophane circumnavigators in the past. To date, the Balloons team has launched and recovered 140+ HABs as high as 120,000 feet with active altitude controls, satellite communication, and scientific payloads. We have launched a balloon crossing the Atlantic Ocean from California and also balloons that have circumnavigated the globe!

{{nowrap|The current team co-leads are {{Leadership|Balloons=true}}}}

The Balloons team has two ongoing projects: the Latex Experimental series, and the Glacial Radio And Stratospheric Sensing (GRASS) project in partnership with [https://www.radioglaciology.com/ the Radio Glaciology Lab]. Latex Experimental is an all-encompassing series where we test & verify new technologies (sensing, comms, recovery), fly payloads for [[:Category:Teams|our fellow SSI teams]], and test innovative payload designs. GRASS is a research project targeting Greenland-based testing to measure how RF power gets scattered off the surface of glaciers, along with some other open questions about airborne ice-penetrating radar.

In the coming year (2026-27), the Balloons team plans to add the following projects:

* CLIPPER, a glider payload that can be returned to the launch location or another ideal location. This will solve the significant ballooning problem of having to find and retrieve payloads, often from unideal locations; it will also enable us to launch from new locations.
* Pharmaceuticals in Space, a microgravity crystal synthesis project in partnership with the [[:Category:M.A.R.S|M.A.R.S.]] team. This project will demonstrate the viability and chemical significance of synthesising pharmaceutical products in microgravity, which is hypothesised to create more uniform crystal structures.

Balloon payloads are launched with state-of-the-art equipment constantly re-envisioned by the team. Previous payloads include altitude control mechanics using a gas venting valve and ballast dispenser (ValBal), as well as a custom flight control system, two-way satellite communications, an intelligent altitude control algorithm, autonomous guided payload recovery and more.

The Balloons team Faculty Advisor is Dr. John Pauly, Department of Electrical Engineering.

Our past co-leads:

* 2025-26: {{slack-user

| sunet-id =davidzh
| display-name = David Zhou

}} and {{slack-user

| sunet-id =quyenvo
| display-name = Quyen Vo

}}.
* 2024-25: {{slack-user|sunet-id=miczheng|display-name=Michelle Zheng}} and {{slack-user|sunet-id=amleung|display-name=Amber Leung}}.
* 2022-23: {{slack-user

| sunet-id =rsanda
| display-name = Rohan Sanda

}} and {{slack-user

| sunet-id =bernardj
| display-name = Jack Bernardo

}}.
* 2021-22: {{slack-user|sunet-id = matthtan|display-name=Matthew Tan}} and {{slack-user|sunet-id=jteoh|display-name=Janice Teoh}}.
* 2020-21: Aditeya Shuka ({{slack-user|display-name=Adi}}) and Sathya Edamadaka ({{slack-user|display-name=sathya}}).
* 2019-20 were Sydney Marler ({{slack-user|display-name=smarler}}) and Jason Kurohara ({{slack-user|display-name=jason kurohara}}).

Previous projects include: 
[[Cycloon]], which aims to harness altitude control technology and the unique advantages of a balloon platform to study tropical cyclogenesis. 
[[HABSIM]], a GEFS-based trajectory prediction server and an associated Python package enabling predictions and optimizations on custom profiles. 
[[Spaceshot]], which aims to launch a rocket off a high-altitude balloon to reach space. 
[[HABMC]], the balloons team mission-control software, a powerful web-app that provides real-time data, analytics, and controls of balloon flights. 
[[Balloonerang]], which aims to build a payload which autonomously glides to a predetermined recovery site. 
'''ValBal''', a long-endurance, low-cost latex balloon altitude-maintenance platform that holds multiple world records for endurance, and has flown as far as Morocco. 
'''HABEES''', the balloons project team responsible for all balloons standard-profile electronics, RF, and flight software systems. 
'''habhive''', the balloons mechanical-engineering project team, responsible for development of payload structures & novel mechanical projects to be flown on balloons. 

The balloons team is committed to openness and diversity in projects; project teams serve to facilitate member interests and novel new ideas and propositions; talk to the balloon co-leads or the relevant project leads if you have an awesome idea you'd like to try out! 

{|align="center"
|-
| [[File:valballogo.png | 200px| link=Category:ValBal]]
| [[File:habeeslogo.JPG | 200px | link=Category:HABEES]]
| [[File:habhivelogo.png | 200px | link=Category:habhive]]
| [[File:habmclogo.png | 200px | link=Category:habmc]]
|-
|}

{{balloon-footer}}
<noinclude>
[[Category:High Altitude Balloons]]
</noinclude>

Getting Reimbursed

2026-02-28T04:38:41Z

Iaditya: Site might be outdated

#REDIRECT [[Making a Purchase]]

'''NOTICE: This page might be outdated.'''

'''Here's where you might find something more useful: [[Making a Purchase]].'''

Congratulations! You have done a great service to SSI by spending your own hard-earned money on buying something we need. Thanks for that. The reimbursement system is absolutely key to our functionality as an organization - without it, it would take months of lead time to buy anything, and what we do would become almost impossible. Now, let's get your money back, as quickly as possible.

= Step 1: Keep you receipt! =

The importance of this cannot be overstated. Without a receipt, it's very difficult to reimburse. If you're buying things at home, save your receipt and try to submit it as soon as you can; if you're traveling with SSI, take a picture of your receipt in case you forget it or accidentally lose it. And when you get your receipt, check two things:
* Is it an invoice? If so, it's not quite enough - you also need to attach a bank statement.
* Is it itemized? Restaurants are especially notorious for this, but if a place doesn't list a breakdown of what you spent, it doesn't count. If you get one of these, go back and ask for an itemized one. If you can't get an itemized one, we can try to work something out.

= Step 2: Go to the SSI Internal Site =

It's at https://internal.stanfordssi.org/. You can log on with your Stanford ID. If all goes well, you should see this page:

[[File:SSIInternalHome.JPG|thumb|right|alt=SSI Internal Site Start Page.|SSI Internal Site Start Page.]]

If not, go to #operations-website and complain.

= Step 3: Click on the reimbursements tab =

Once you're there, click on New Reimbursement

[[File:NewReimbursement.JPG|thumb|right|alt=New Reimbursement Button.|New Reimbursement Button.]]

= Step 4: Fill out the fields and submit! =

Most fields here are self-explanatory. Some notes:
* If you used an SSI credit card, make sure to box that field.
* If this expense was already handled somehow (this happens rarely), hit that field.
* "Delivery Method" refers to if you want to pick the reimbursement up at Old Union or have it mailed to you. Generally pickup at Old Union is easier.
* If you're confused by a field or unsure what to put, please contact @chloe or @Peter Maldonado.

[[File:ReimbursementFields.JPG|thumb|right|alt=Fields to fill out to get reimbursed.|Fields to fill out to get reimbursed.]]

= Step 5: (Some Teams Only) Fill Out an Expense Report =

Some teams require that you make a detailed listing of the expenses you dealt with. They'll have a budget document where you can list what money you spent. Contact your coleads to know where that is.

= Step 6: Track your process and make changes if necessary =

When you submit your reimbursement, slackbot will message you to let you know! After that, it's up to the financial officers to process it, and slackbot will update you as they do so. If there's something wrong with your reimbursement, they'll also let you know! If you get a message saying your reimbursement was rejected, don't despair. There are plenty of ways to fix it and resubmit it--check the message from either the FOs, team co-leads, or SSE (Stanford Student Enterprises, the people who make the final call on the validity of a reimbursement) and make the necessary changes. If you're unsure what the message means or want clarification, contact either @chloe or @Peter Maldonado.

= Step 7: Pick up your reimbursement =

Within a few weeks, you should get an email from ASSU saying that a payment is available! You can go pick up your check from the ASSU office on the first floor of Old Union, behind the Axe and Palm (TAP).

[[Category:Operations]]

Stanford SSI Wiki - User contributions [en]

High Altitude Balloons Team

Getting Reimbursed