Status: Ongoing
Problem
Explore how a small payload could collect useful data at high altitude and be reliably recoverable. I’ve been working on this for several years, driven by the goal of sending a small experiment towards the edge of space.
This is a brief summary. Full documentation will live at projects.lukeharrisplatt.com.
Approach
I researched sensor selection, data logging, power budgeting, and recovery strategies.
I built and soldered a basic data logger using a Raspberry Pi Pico and sensors including an accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, and temperature measurement, then prepared it for launch conditions (power, enclosure, and logging reliability).
What didn’t work
The test launch reached over 23 km, but the purchased GPS tracker failed, so we were unable to recover the payload.
What I learned
This taught me a pivotal lesson: engineering is not just “making it work”, it’s making it recoverable, testable, and reliable under real constraints.
At the time it was incredibly frustrating to lose the payload after so much work. Looking back, it forced me to build resilience and to treat failure as data: identify the weak link, redesign, and test again.
Next steps
I’m transitioning this project into an EPQ artefact, so I can dedicate focused time to a more rigorous version of the system and its documentation.
Key improvements planned:
- A detailed, end-to-end recovery plan (including redundancy and failure modes).
- A custom, integrated data logger + recovery unit designed and built by me.
- LoRa radio telemetry for live updates during flight.
- A GPS solution designed for high altitude (to avoid the failure mode from the test launch).
The goal is to maintain contact with the payload, retrieve telemetry throughout the flight, and maximise the probability of recovery.