STEP 5 — Finish the Arduino

Wrapping Up

The Arduino assembly is complete. The code has been edited and uploaded. It is almost ready for the balloon flight. There are a few small steps remaining:

1.  Double check all the wiring and electronics
2.  Make sure the SD card is completely inserted back onto the Ethernet Shield
3.  Help the Engineers in your Space Agency secure the radiation sensor inside your agency’s shielding
4.  Help the Engineers mount the Arduino in the payload box

You will also need to mount the battery pack somewhere in the box. It needs to be close enough to the Arduino that it can plug into the power input port.

Hot Glue the Connections

We don’t want the wires and other electronic connections to come loose during the balloon flight. Add a drop or two of hot glue around each wired connection point in your Arduino system. Also add a few drops where the GPS Antenna connects to the GPS Breakout Board, as well as where the GPS Breakout Board connects to the breadboard. Try to secure anything that might come loose.

Final Approval

Before the flight, the International Advisors must examine your Space Agency’s payload to verify that everything is working and ready to fly. This is the final step. Once you receive approval, the Arduino assembly is finished!