VADER (Volume Acquisition Device using Estimated Radius)

VADER (Volume Acquisition Device using Estimated Radius) measures the volume of a superpressure balloon using a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor and a winch to obtain radius measurements at various heights within a superpressure balloon.

Note

This project was created for the Balloon Program Office at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. The Balloon Program Office (BPO) develops scientific balloons as a platform for space payloads that collect scientific data for astrophysics, heliophysics, and other branches of science. More information can be found on the Balloon Program Office website.

Important

While I developed all designs, programs, and functions of VADER while interning at the NASA Balloon Program Office, nothing in this repository is "NASA approved." VADER has yet to be tested on a scientific balloon, and NO approvals, liability, or warranty on behalf of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wallops Flight Facility, the Balloon Program Office, or myself (Benjamin Chase / perspector) are implied. Please see the LICENSE.

This is simply a way to chronacle my experience with BPO, highlight the incredible projects that interns can support at NASA, and share VADER in the spirit of open-source!

For further project details, please see my linked presentation images below:

The CAD files were developed during my 2nd internship with BPO in the summer of 2024. The CircuitPython code was developed during my 3rd internship in the summer of 2025.

More extensive documentation of this project is available in VADER_README.docx.