Two JP Aerospace flights on June 2nd

[jpowell]

We're heading to the desert for two balloon flights to 100,000 feet on Saturday. <br /><br />Away 32 and 33 will be testing equipment for our new airship as well as a host of new launch equipment and conducting ATO development.<br /><br />Also on board will be 280 PongSat student experiments.<br /><br />Wish us luck!<br /><br />John<br /><br />JP Aerospace, America's OTHER Space Program<br />www.jpaerospace.com<br /><br /><br />

 

[ckikilwai]

Nice, I hope everything will go just fine!<br /><br />BTW, do you have a some picture of the Away 32 or 33?<br />I can't find much about it on the website.

 

[j05h]

Best of luck, JP!<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[holmec]

I wish you guys the best of luck and success. It would be sweet if your experiments were successful and we would have another way to access space. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[jpowell]

Both missions went great. We got a lot of data and all the new equipment got a real shakedown. We got both vehicles in the air within 45 mins of eath other. It was the smoothest set of missions we've ever flown in spite of high winds during launch.<br /><br />Away 32 went to 92,000 feet, Away 33 went to 94,000 feet.<br />Both were recovered by nightfall.<br /><br />I've started posting mission pics to the JPA website. <br /><br />www.jpaerospace.com<br /><br />(go to the blog/what's new section).<br />I'll have more pics and the videos up over the next few days.<br /><br />JP

 

[holmec]

Congrats!<br /><br />Like your high wind launching system....it seems to beat NASA's balloon launching system. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[mithridates]

That's great to see. I always make sure to keep abreast of what's going on there. Will there be YouTube videos for this flight as well? It would be great if it could be featured. I'm not sure how the featuring process works but if you upload the video there I'll see what I can do.<br /><br />One thing I'm curious about as we sometimes discuss it here: what's your policy on metric? Perhaps it's all the time I've spent in Asia but I haven't seen altitude measured in feet in quite some time. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>----- </p><p>http://mithridates.blogspot.com</p> </div>

 

[jpowell]

I actually do have a policy on metric/english units.<br /><br />We get components from manufactures in both. Our various requlatory agencies we get permission from ask for the data like altitude in english. Our rocket motors even come with diameters in metric and the lengths in english.<br /><br />The answer is to jump above the entire issue. The important thing is not the system of measure, it is the notation of the units. Every number has it's unit written with it. A number is not valid without the unit. I know this is all high school science class stuff, but you would be suprised have often it is ignored. <br /><br />I don't care if the number is metric or english or cubits. I do care that the unit is identified and that the number is accurate. Spending a lot of time converting all the different units that everybody gives you is just increasing the potental for introducing error.<br /><br />I really do wish the world would pick one or the other. However, I can't both fight the system and build spaceships. This compromise has worked well for us.<br /><br />On another note I've got the first couple of videos up from the flight. Check out the What's New/Blog section.<br /><br />JP<br />www.jpaerospace.com

 

[mithridates]

Okay, thanks for the reply, and that sounds like a practical way to deal with the irritating situation we have at the moment re: units.<br />Let us know any YouTube / other site urls if they are uploaded there later on. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>----- </p><p>http://mithridates.blogspot.com</p> </div>

 

[jpowell]

I posted a 8 minute mission video today.<br />It shows prep, launch and onboard scene from several different cameras. Currently is on the JPA website:<br /><br />www.jpaerospace.com<br />(under the Blog/what's new section)<br /><br />I'll be posting it also to YouTube and Revver.<br /><br />JP

 

[holmec]

very nice. That Away 33 shot up almost like a rocket LOL!<br /><br />Also it seemed to have a little turbulance at 92,000 ft with all the rocking.<br /><br />Thanks <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>