BLIMP

The Balloon Live Instrumentation Monitoring Platform

BLIMP provides secure, remote, real-time access to instrumentation data from AEROPHILE NG30 tethered balloon systems, supporting safer and more efficient operational decision-making.

BLIMP was originally developed for Conner Prairie’s 1859 Balloon Voyage and now has expanded to other sites. It provides real-time, remote monitoring of critical flight instrumentation—ensuring vital safety and performance data is accessible offsite for monitoring the balloon, especially in inclement weather conditions.

Owned and developed by Apollo Digital LLC.

Project Overview

BLIMP enables monitoring of key metrics, including:

  • Pressure
  • Wind Speed
  • Lift
  • Internal & External Temperature
  • Voltage
  • Battery Status

The platform consists of three separate components working together:

  1. DATA_UPLOADER – Software installed on a ground-based flight computer that uploads telemetry data from ViewData, AEROPHILE's flight computer software.
  2. WORKER – A Cloudflare Worker endpoint that receives, validates, and processes incoming data.
  3. WEB – A responsive dashboard for live and historical data visualization.

Key Features

  • Real-Time Monitoring – Continuous telemetry streaming to a secure cloud endpoint.
  • Historical Data Visualization – Long-term storage enabling graphing, trend analysis, and flight history review.
  • Notifications & Alerts – Automatic warnings when readings exceed safety thresholds.
  • Authentication & Security – Restricts access to authorized operational personnel.

Technology Stack

  • Frontend: Next.js (React), deployed via Cloudflare Pages – Responsive dashboard for data visualization and user interaction.
  • Backend: Cloudflare Workers – Serverless compute handling POST uploads and GET queries efficiently.
  • Database: Cloudflare D1 – A serverless SQLite solution for low-latency data storage and scalability.

This architecture minimizes on-site hardware needs—requiring only a flight computer with internet access—while maintaining scalability and reliability.

Long-Term Vision

BLIMP was developed not just as a monitoring tool, but as an investment in the future of balloon operations:

  • Enhance operational safety through redundant remote monitoring
  • Provide reliable offsite visibility for operators and management
  • Maintain historical telemetry across future balloon envelopes (e.g., Sophie and successors)

Author

Apollo Ballinger

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