JP Aerospace flies two missions last Saturday

[jpowell]

JP Aerospace flew two balloon platforms last Saturday. <br /><br />Flying two missions on the same morning was a real challenge for the team. Managing two vehicles at once is a critical step toward future operations in the upper atmosphere.<br /><br />A high wind launch system was used for both liftoffs. The system consists of giant envelopes containing the balloons and tear panels to release them. The seven to twelve knot winds would have meant a scrubbed flight without the new system. We are improving the system with each flight. We hope to achieve all-weather balloon operations.<br /><br />The platforms were the twenty-ninth and thirtieth in the Away series of missions. Each platform is carried aloft by two large weather balloons. Away 29 carried one hundred and ten PongSat student experiments. It also took 2640 photographs of sponsor logos with the Earth in the background. Six cameras were on short booms looking back at billboards mounted on the vehicle. Away 29 reached a peak altitude of 95,100 feet. It landed ninety-six miles downrange.<br /><br />Away 30 carried 570 PongSats. Away 30 was also testing telemetry systems to be used on JP Aerospace’s new high altitude airship. After liftoff, data from the vehicle showed the climb rate was 250 feet per minute. This was well below what is needed to continue the flight. At 17,600 feet, the command was sent to release the balloons. Away 30 landed by parachute six miles downrange.<br /><br />We are very excited about the missions. Many procedural changes and new techniques allowed us to do two launches in less time it normally takes to do one. Each mission is a real shakedown of systems and techniques for performing work at the edge of space.<br /><br />We still have a lot of work to do. Away 30 didn’t reach its altitude goal and the Away 29 landing site was farther downrange than we like. These flights gave us two more bits of experience under our belts and are another step down the road toward Airship to Orbit.<br /><br />Our nex

 

[ebort]

wow amazing!! thanks for the info and link! <br />beautifull stuff..<br /><br />there's your space elevator right there...and using the oldest form of man made flight to get to space just has to be poetry in motion...<br /><br />any thoughts on maximum pay load capability?<br />nice one!

 

[spacefire]

Nice job guys!<br />Keep up the good work. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

Just got done responding to a post that suggest China will lead in space exploration in the future. But as long as people like you are out there and pushing the frontiers, we can maintain our lead in space exploration and utilization.<br /><br />Great job, keep up the good work. Have your efforts gotten significant notice by the media? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[jpowell]

We get some coverage, not much outside the space community.<br /><br />I just posted a video from the missions. It's a composite of both flights.<br /><br />www.jpaerospace.com<br /><br />Look at the blog page.<br /><br />JP

 

[qso1]

I see someone by the name of Dale Schornack from ABC News 10 has covered your efforts for years. Are his reports local or on National news? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[jpowell]

Dale is great. He's the local ABC Anchor and reporter, (Sacramento, CA). He won an Emmy award a few years ago for a series he did on JP Aerospace. Instead of going to the award ceremony he came out on a mission to film.<br /><br />JP

 

[flynn]

Thankyou for taking the time to post here and please keep us informed with your future activities <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[spacester]

Congrats, JP!<br /><br />It only took you 30 missions to gain enough acceptance here that I am no longer the only one posting in encouragement.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[holmec]

Nice, very nice. Pinch me because its hard to believe that such a simple way to space was possible let alone someone actually trying it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[mithridates]

I'm curious what a system like this would do in reducing the cost or raising the ease of manufacturing satellites given that one wouldn't have to be built to withstand the g-forces you get when launching a rocket. I was watching a documentary over here in Korea the other day on the Arirang-2 and they spent quite a bit of time on experiments to make sure that it was going to be able to withstand the launch. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>----- </p><p>http://mithridates.blogspot.com</p> </div>