A weather station built specifically for model rocket launches

When NASA or SpaceX launches a rocket, it is important for them to monitor the real-time local weather conditions to adjust parameters or even delay until conditions are more favorable. Model rocket launches are just as affected by weather — more so, in fact, because they have so much less mass. That’s why Markus Bindhammer of the Marb’s lab YouTube channel built this portable weather station specifically for his model rocketry hobby.

This weather station displays six critical measurements: temperature, humidity, air pressure, altitude, wind speed, and wind direction. The device measures all of those itself, rather than relying on data pulled from nearby weather stations. That ensures that the measurements are current and local to the precise area of the launch site. 

A single Bosch BME280 sensor collects the temperature, humidity, air pressure, and altitude measurements. An ultrasonic anemometer measures wind speed and direction. The weather station has a physical compass attached so Bindhammer can orient the anemometer and get an accurate wind direction reading.

An Arduino Nano Every board monitors those sensors, then displays the results on a 2” TFT LCD screen. Those mount onto a custom PCB that keeps all of the wiring nice and tidy. Everything fits inside of a resin 3D-printed enclosure, which Bindhammer sanded and then painted a lovely shade of blue.

Now Bindhammer can easily monitor the weather as he prepares for his launches. And this weather station will pair perfectly with the launch controller he built that we recently featured.

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