112 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
112 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
Executable File
<figure>
|
|
<img src="_sb5_IMG_9220.JPG" title="500 px" />
|
|
<figcaption>500 px</figcaption>
|
|
</figure>
|
|
|
|
Spaceblimp-5 Launched: July 9, 2011
|
|
|
|
## Summary
|
|
|
|
This time we were going for altitude, and we got it! The max recorded
|
|
altitude was 118,533 ft! (Getting us the 16th highest altitude record on
|
|
[ARHAB.org](http://arhab.org/) !)
|
|
|
|
The launch site was: Strasburg VA, in a open area near the town on Rt
|
|
11, near the I-81. Lat: 38.9968 N Lon: 78.3508W
|
|
|
|
![320 px](_sb5_launch_still.jpg "320 px") ![500
|
|
px](_sb5_track.jpg "500 px")
|
|
|
|
The path the balloon took was pretty strange, with the wind shifting
|
|
between ascent and descent, and so we had a lot more driving to do than
|
|
usual. The primary GPS/radio worked perfectly, and we got super-lucky
|
|
with the recovery, picking up the package ~15 minutes after it hit the
|
|
ground. The video camera overheated and failed before launch (booo!) and
|
|
we're still working on the instrument data, but all signs point to some
|
|
new and interesting results at the highest altitude we've ever run.
|
|
|
|
What challenges are left for the Spaceblimp project? Get involved:
|
|
subscribe to [the Spaceblimp mailing
|
|
list](http://hacdc.org/mailman/listinfo/spaceblimp) and help us figure
|
|
it out!
|
|
|
|
Visiting from another planet? [Here's more about
|
|
us](http://www.hacdc.org/about).
|
|
|
|
Want to help us do more awesome stuff? [Make a tax deductible donation
|
|
to our .org!](http://www.hacdc.org/donate)
|
|
|
|
## Pictures and Video
|
|
|
|
Photos have been uploaded to
|
|
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/itechgeek/sets/72157627058450849/>.
|
|
|
|
## Data
|
|
|
|
### Accelerometer
|
|
|
|
For now, here is the raw accelerometer data: [Media:
|
|
spaceblimp5_accelerometer.csv.gz](Media:_spaceblimp5_accelerometer.csv.gz "wikilink")
|
|
|
|
Analysis to come in the next few days....
|
|
|
|
### Flight Tracker
|
|
|
|
## Launch Plans
|
|
|
|
| Planned launch date: | Saturday, July 9, 2011 |
|
|
|----------------------:|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|
|
| Launch time: | 10:00 AM, Launch should take less than an hour. |
|
|
| Launch Location: | Strasburg, VA |
|
|
| Coordination/Talk-in: | 146.685 MHz simplex (this might change, please monitor Twitter (@HacDCSpaceblimp) and mailing list for updates. |
|
|
| Planned Altitude: | 120,000 Feet |
|
|
| Planned Ascent Rate: | 1,000 feet/minute |
|
|
| Planned Descent Rate: | 1,000 feet/minute |
|
|
| Primary Beacon: | Son-of-WhereAVR with ublox GPS. Yaesu VX-1 handi-talkie with 1 W Transmitter, call sign W3HAC-11 ([map](http://aprs.fi/?call=W3HAC-11)), Frequency 144.390 MHz |
|
|
| Secondary Beacon: | GSM mobile phone modue, uBlox GPS |
|
|
| Payload: | 9 DOF IMU, Geiger counter, temperature, pressure, humidity, and light sensors |
|
|
|
|
## Payload
|
|
|
|
### Radios
|
|
|
|
There were two radios on board the blimp that transmitted out the GPS
|
|
data:
|
|
|
|
- The primary radio was tied to the GPS and transmitted out to a network
|
|
of amateur radio enthusiasts who then passed the location information
|
|
on to get mapped here: [APRS.fi](http://aprs.fi/?call=W3HAC-11). We
|
|
also ran some custom software that passes this data on to a Twitter
|
|
account (once per minute!) which you could follow on your phone: [DC
|
|
Spaceblimp Primary Twitter Feed](http://twitter.com/#!/DCSpaceblimp).
|
|
(Click the link in the Twitter to pull up a map!)
|
|
|
|
<!-- -->
|
|
|
|
- The secondary radio was actually a GSM cell phone module, and
|
|
broadcasted its data when in range of a cell tower. It broadcasted
|
|
both GPS data for tracking, and a lot of the sensor data for science.
|
|
It also twittered through [Society Of Robots Twitter
|
|
Feed](http://twitter.com/#!/SocietyofRobotz).
|
|
|
|
### Cameras
|
|
|
|
The payload contains a couple cameras:
|
|
|
|
- a video camera (Canon Zi6)
|
|
- a still camera (Canon Powershot A-480) running custom firmware to get
|
|
better exposures from space
|
|
|
|
### Instrumentation
|
|
|
|
and a lot of instrumentation:
|
|
|
|
- a geiger counter
|
|
- 9 degree-of-freedom IMU ([Inertial Measurement Unit on
|
|
Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_measurement_unit))
|
|
- high-speed (50 sample/sec) accelerometer
|
|
- internal and external temperature sensors
|
|
- humidity sensor
|
|
- air pressure sensor
|
|
- IR and visible light sensors
|
|
- a solar panel, hooked up to measure the voltage |