Design and Development of a Compact X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Environmental Monitoring Payload for Suborbital Platforms

This paper presents the mission concept and design of a low-cost stratospheric balloon payload developed for the measurement of gamma rays, X-rays, and atmospheric radiation. The payload integrates multiple sensors, including a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector coupled to a photomultiplier tube, a Geiger counter for total radiation counting, and a BME280 environmental sensor for temperature, pressure, and humidity measurements. A Raspberry Pi Zero is used as the central data acquisition and control unit, enabling real-time logging and processing of sensor data. Positioning and tracking are achieved through GPS modules, including a SIM-based tracker for telemetry and payload recovery. Additional instrumentation such as visible and infrared cameras provides contextual imaging of atmospheric conditions during flight. The system is designed to be lightweight, power-efficient, and modular to meet the constraints of a high-altitude balloon. The configuration evaluated in this study is a laboratory engineering prototype intended to establish functional integration and preliminary spectral performance. It has not yet undergone mechanical vibration, shock, low-pressure, or low-temperature qualification; consequently, flight robustness is not claimed in the present work. Laboratory calibration experiments using a multi-channel analyser were conducted to characterize the spectral response of the radiation detectors and validate measurement capabilities. The resulting spectra were compared with reference data to confirm detector performance. The payload architecture enables simultaneous acquisition of radiation, environmental, and positional data throughout ascent. Balloon-borne measurements therefore can capture a transition from ground-dominated gamma radiation to a regime increasingly governed by cosmic interactions in the atmosphere. The laboratory results establish the functional feasibility of the integrated acquisition architecture and provide a foundation for a mechanically secured and environmentally qualified high-altitude balloon payload and a potential CubeSat mission after passing vibrational and thermal analysis.