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Fall 2005 Issue |
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CAPNSPACE This past July via the Great Plains Super Launch, GPSL-2005, ten groups launched balloons from Traynor, Iowa. Here KCŘMIC tells his story.
By Troy Campbell,* KCŘMIC |
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We had three “firsts” this year. (1) This
flight marked the first flight made at a GPSL (Great Plains Super Launch).
Last year we only observed at GPSL-2004 in the hopes of starting a
program. (2) It marked the first flight CAPNSPACE made as a member of the
Near Space Ventures group. In conjunction with that, we worked with a Boy
Scouts of America venture group. (3) It was the first flight that we
recovered without any “outside assistance” (i.e., the farmer didn’t find
it before we did and call us). At 7:00 AM we arrived at Traynor High School and began setting up. The winds were still light and it was about 70°F. After another group had began to fill their launcher (balloon), we noticed that the wind was just starting to pick up. We decided that we would fill our balloon and be ready for launch should the wind start to pick up any more. It also was decided that we’d put in more lift than we normally would to get the package out of the ground winds and past 40,000 feet faster than normal.
We launched at 8:10 AM CDT, about five minutes
after the first launch. The climb rate was about 1100 fpm (that’s an
estimate until the data from the flight recorder can be analyzed). We
packed up and split into three teams, leaving the launch area right after
five more teams launched their balloons.
The APRS (automatic position reporting system)
telemetry showed that the flight path was following the flight projection
fairly closely. Almost immediately after takeoff, the tracking system
froze up for chase Team 1. Team 3’s tracking equipment never did work.
Team 1 rebooted and got some limited functionality for maps and vehicle
location, but the KPC 3+ TNC (terminal node controller) stopped working
altogether. Chase Team 2’s equipment was working perfectly. |
The launch crew attaches
the payload to the launch vehicle (balloon). Left to right: Cindy, KCŘRRW
(Captain, CAP); Keith, WAŘTJT; Troy, KCŘMIC (Major, CAP); and kneeling,
Mike,
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