Unfortunately, the impact the payload it took as it fell back to the ground dislodged the GoPro SD card and damaged the video. We were able to repair it, but we were not able to recover the last ~30 seconds of the recording. Checkout the video:
Launch Day - 25 August 2013
The weather could not have been more perfect for our first launch in Stafford, VA. Our predicted telemetry had winds carrying S and SW which worked out well for avoiding the Potomac River and the Atlantic. Here were the predictions from CUSF:
We hoped to launch at the Stafford Park nearby but with some of the fields occupied and the open field under sprinkler fire, we opted for a vacant parking lot nearby.
Unpacking and preparation beginning.
I purchased a12 dBi Yagi directional antenna for better tracking as the payload left the range of the omni-directional. We ended up not needing it for the tracking as the balloon never exceeded 2,600 feet. We'll have it for next time...
The batteries were taped and zip-tied down for the impact it would take back to Earth. This proved a good idea in the end when one of the AA batteries in fact did pop out but not completely, so the payload continued to transmit after it hit the ground (though the GPS sensor came loose on impact so we did not get coordinates, just garbage data).
The electronics up close. Many months of work here to get this all integrated.
The parachute was loaded into the PVC and tied to the handle. It took a while to get all of the equipment loaded into the container as there wasn't much wiggle room to work with.
One final check of the weight which came in at ~4 lbs. We adjusted the gallon of water to match the weight of the payload and subtracted the weight of the filling regulator/PVC fittings. Additionally, two lbs were added for 'free lift' recommended by the balloon manufacturer. When the balloon lifted the gallon jug of water, this would be the indication there is enough buoyancy.
Six hand-warmers were added to the bottom of the payload to help keep the equipment warm. Additional, a thermometer inside would take measurements and these would be sent to the ground. A resistor heater could be turned on to warm up the equipment if needed as the temperatures can get as frigid as -60F at 100,000 feet.
A tarp and blanket were laid out for the latex balloon to rest on as we filled it with Helium from the 150 cubic foot tank. A custom regulator was built using a 1" PVC, elbow joint, some fittings, and hose all purchase from Home Depot.
Before filling the balloon, we ensured the tracking system was working between the ground equipment and payload transceiver/GPS units. A tablet in the front seat was remote desktop'ed to the tracking laptop and mounted between the front seats.
After confirming communication and tracking were ready, we began filling the balloon. Latex gloves were recommended by the manufacturer when handling the balloon, so that we did. Oils on hands can be abrasive to the balloon.
Luckily, the wind was very low and this helped making the filling process less problematic. It didn't take much wind to bob the balloon around, and we were especially afraid of the balloon would get twisted at the neck which could potentially rip a hole from the tank pressure. We did not have the luxury of a barn to fill the balloon in as others online had recommended.
Almost there... we moved quickly filling the balloon, I would say it was a ~15 minute process.
We tied off the balloon with two twist-ties and wrapped the tether many times between the ties. We duck-taped over this and added one more zip-tie at the end of the balloon neck. We couldn't have been more proud of the tie-off job.
The electronics and GoPro were switched on. We made one last check for communication.
The reflector was mounted between the payload and the balloon as required by the FAA (FAR 101 regulations). We released the balloon and hoped for the best. No turning back now.
And we're off...
Seconds after release, it was obvious something wasn't right. Instead of darting up, the payload and balloon lifted slowly and the wind started to take it close to the trees nearby. It seemed we might be doomed as the payload slammed into one of the trees (as you'll see in the video) and I thought for sure it would get entangled. Somehow, it continued off but not at the ascent rate we had anticipated.
After clearing the tree-lined, the balloon did gradually lift, but had a 'floater'. To anyone who has launched a high altitude balloon system before, they know this can be a very bad situation as the balloon and travel hundreds of miles, making it difficult/impossible to retrieve the payload.
We took off in our cars immediately in an attempt to get in front of the system so that a manual cut-down could be sent to the payload.
We considered letting it go longer as it was continuing to rise slowly, but it was headed towards Marine Corps Base Quantico at a very low altitude. We moved to a road where we could get in front of it since we were periodically losing communication because of the low altitude/loss of line-of-site.
Strangely, the balloon rose to ~1000 feet, drifted low again, and then drifted to ~2600 feet. I still cannot explain this behavior. When it drifter low again, it was barely clearing trees as the video shows.
I think we were lucky that the floater was below the cloud line as this made it possible to visually track it. When we did lose sight of it, we were usually still receiving the coordinates proving our tracking system was working well.
We initiated the cut down when the balloon was at about ~2000 feet and we watched it cut-lose and start its tumble back to Earth.
Immediately after the cut-down, we remotely deployed the parachute, but tragically, the wind force was too much and it snapped the string tethering the parachute. Damn...
You can actually see the parachute gracefully falling to the ground below, but without the payload.
The last coordinate we received from the payload GPS was at ~650 feet. The impact dislodged the GPS we later found out so this had to work for the search. We only received ampersands from the payload, which was a sign that the transmitter and micro-controller had survived the ~50 mph impact into the ground. After a 5 minute search in the backyard of of a nearby house (with three angry dogs), we found the payload! It was rather beat-up but it fared well considering... the house owner showed up just as we had retrieved the equipment and her reaction was entertaining when we explained to here what we were up to.
A successful failure!
How did the container and equipment inside fair? See for yourself.
Special thanks to all those who turned out for the flight and contributed:
Nirmal and Kristin - Who we owe all of the awesome pictures to (documentation-man and documentation-woman titles respectively)
Adam - Navigator and everything man-man
Heather and Lindsey - Our beautiful balloon handlers and navigation help
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Shay, Eric, and Ashley - Drove the extra mile to participate
Fun Flight Facts
Peak altitude: 2522 ft (38.485321,-77.457328) dagger...Flight time: ~29 minutes
Distance traveled: 3.1 miles (5.0 km if you're communist)
Free fall: 20-25 seconds (cut-down from 1886 ft)
Impact velocity: 50.4 mph (74.2 ft/s - terminal velocity was reached quickly)
Harris Teeter® container after impact: Not water tight
Trajectory and Altitude:
A ton of additional photos here from launch day.
Lessons Learned
1) Order more than enough helium!
2) Secure the parachute well to the payload. The string that attached it snapped, resulting in a unimpeded collision with planet Earth.
Future Enhancements
1) Improve the GpsPrune application so that it tracks the tracking car and the payload both.
2) Have a phone that can tether to load the maps for the tracking laptop, rather than rely on a cached map.
A Transcript as Recorded by Adam of my Rantings as I Slept
The date was July 21, 1969. While I was not alive, I think it was the day I was conceived. Maybe not in the traditional sense, but that was the day the world decided it needed me, Ryan Nordenbrock. I've watched the film many times, heck probably thousands at this point. Neil Armstrong, the first person on the moon, an American hero. But is he? Short answer: no. The real heroes were the crew back at NASA whose engineering and imagination got him there in the first place. I've walked before. Trust me, it's not that hard. We probably could have used the monkeys we sent up there in the first place and just trained them a bit more. (Those monkeys definitely are heroes, but I'll save that for another blog post.) I guess what I'm saying is that Neil Armstrong did nothing impressive. He even admits it in his first words on the surface. One SMALL step for man. Big deal.
Which brings me to my plan. Never before has one person engineered a spaceship AND walked on the moon's surface...until now. This project begins a lifelong dream to prove that anything is possible. I stand here, blogging before you now to say that I will reach the surface of the moon by the end of the decade. A bold statement I know, but.... ask not what your country can do for you, but who in this country will single-handedly build a rocket-ship and (maybe) colonize the moon. Thanks for reading. Suck it, Neil.
