Science presentation at Morgan Elementary.

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Flight #35 - 2019a

The Flight 2019a will be held for the Morgan Elementary School 6th grade class. Before the launch, students will be given classroom exposure to the concept of near-space travel, including demonstrations in a vacuum chamber.

Flight Parameters

Launch Date/Time	Wednesday March 20th at 9:30am (14:30Z). Plan on meeting at 8:30am to prepare.
Alternative Date	n/a
Launch Site	Morgan Elementary School (38.0845N, -97.9341W)
Capsule 1 (Track) 144.39MHz	Tracker: ArduinoTrack with RadioMetrix 300mW transmitter signing W0ZC-11. Beaconing: Time-based delay 20 second delays below 4,000m 30 second delays above 25,000m Otherwise 45 second delays. Path is disabled above 2,000m MSL. Camera: Canon A570IS camera running CHDK and dash-cam camera pointed up.	0.87kg
Capsule 2 (Track) 144.39MHz	Tracker: ptFlex with DRA818V 700mW transmitter signing W0ZC-13. Beaconing: Time-based delay 55 seconds during entire flight Path is disabled above 2,000m MSL. Sensor: SHTC-3 Outside Air Temperature and Relative Humidity. Camera: Dual stereoscopic dash cams looking horizontally.	0.52kg
Capsule 3 (Track) 144.39MHz	Tracker: Habduino, built by Dillon from Wichita State University. The transmitter is signing KE0TGR-11. Beaconing: Time-based delay 40 seconds during entire flight Camera: GoPro	0.45kg
Capsule 4 (Track) (WARC-Club Designed) 144.39MHz	Tracker: ArduinoTrack with RadioMetrix 300mW transmitter transmitter signing W0SOE-11. Capsule designed and built by the WARC group from Wichita, KS. Beaconing: Altitude-based delay 30 second delays below 5,000m 45 second delays above 25,000m Otherwise 60 second delays. Path is disabled above 1,457m MSL. Repeater: Raspberry Pi Fusion repeater 445.400-. (Note the unusual offset frequency - Preprogram your Fusion radios for 440.400Tx/445.400Rx)	0.62kg
Recovery / Misc	Parachute and misc rigging.	0.30kg
Total Flight Weight	Total neck weight on the balloon.	2.76kg
Balloon / Gas	1200g Kaymont with 5.4cu meters (190cu ft) Helium. Neck lift (4.4kg) / Net lift (1.6kg)
Estimated Burst Altitude	29,874m MSL (98,011')
Estimated Ascent Rate	5.3 m/s (1040'/min)
Estimated Descent Rate	6.6 m/s (1300'/min)
Chase Frequencies	446.100MHz / Pi Fusion repeater 445.400-
NOTAM Filed	High Altitude Balloon 5W of KHUT, southeast bound reaching Flight Level 600 from March 20 at 1430Z to March 20 1700Z. (#03/048)

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Flight Results

Launch Date/Time	Wednesday March 20th at 9:30am (14:30Z)
Launch Site	Morgan Elementary School (38.084N, -97.934W)
Burst Altitude	30,051m (98,592') MSL
Average Ascent Rate	4.53m/s (892 ft/min)
Measured Descent Rate	7.30m/s (1,437 ft/min) at touchdown
Touchdown Site	37.389N, -97.141W (4 km north of Udall, KS)
Touchdown Time	Wednesday March 20th at 11:50am (16:50Z)
Recovery Time	Wednesday March 20th at 12:10am (17:10Z)
Distance Traveled	104km (65mi)
Total Flight Time	2 hours, 20 minutes
Downloads	W0ZC-11 Log, Flight Path (KML), Analysis Spreadsheet, Winds Aloft Forecast

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Photo Highlights

Showing one of the flight capsules.
IMG 2040
Comparing the altitudes of things above the sea level.
IMG 2032
Giving a class presentation about atmosphere and weather balloons.
IMG 2034
Showing a latex balloon like the one we will be flying on the 20th.
IMG 2037
The W0ZC-13 capsule which will be on the bottom of the flight string.
IMG 20190319 163327
A close up of the new ptFlex board. The small board to the left is a filter board for the Qwiic I2C connector. I was having some GPS lock issues with one of the sensor boards (not being flown on 2019a).
IMG 20190319 163333 2
The dual down-facing video cameras. They are fixed in position, with the hopes of generating some stereoscopic video.
IMG 20190319 163406 2
This is the W0ZC-11 capsule, which will be on top.
IMG 20190319 174234
One (of two) ArduinoTrack trackers that will be flying. It has a new firmware release on it being tested which fixes a couple of bugs.
IMG 20190319 174244
The tried and true Canon CHDK still camera.
IMG 20190319 174249
The upward facing dash cam on the top package.
IMG 20190319 174253
Recovery near Udall, KS. The landing site was about 1/8 mile off of the highway in a plowed field.
20190320 120545
A large portion of the balloon came back with this flight.
20190320 120605
Capsules all laid out neatly.
20190320 120620
20190320 120637
Preparing the capsules before starting to fill.
IMG 2062
Explaining the process to the Morgan school.
IMG 2069
Prepping the balloon for fill.
IMG 2072
Checklists are important!
IMG 2088
Nearing complete fill.
IMG 2110
Moving the payloads into launch position.
IMG 2135
Lift off from Morgan School.
IMG 8986
IMG 8998
IMG 9170
IMG 9188
Just before burst around 95,000'.
IMG 9548
IMG 9553
IMG 9574
IMG 9578
Clouds and their shadows.
IMG 9686
IMG 9693
Coming down south of Wichita.
IMG 9704
The last photo from the onboard still is just before touchdown. A large chunk of the balloon can be seen falling just above the payloads.
IMG 9715

Showing one of the flight capsules.

Comparing the altitudes of things above the sea level.

Giving a class presentation about atmosphere and weather balloons.

Showing a latex balloon like the one we will be flying on the 20th.

The W0ZC-13 capsule which will be on the bottom of the flight string.

A close up of the new ptFlex board. The small board to the left is a filter board for the Qwiic I2C connector. I was having some GPS lock issues with one of the sensor boards (not being flown on 2019a).

The dual down-facing video cameras. They are fixed in position, with the hopes of generating some stereoscopic video.

This is the W0ZC-11 capsule, which will be on top.

One (of two) ArduinoTrack trackers that will be flying. It has a new firmware release on it being tested which fixes a couple of bugs.

The tried and true Canon CHDK still camera.

The upward facing dash cam on the top package.

Recovery near Udall, KS. The landing site was about 1/8 mile off of the highway in a plowed field.

A large portion of the balloon came back with this flight.

Capsules all laid out neatly.

Preparing the capsules before starting to fill.

Explaining the process to the Morgan school.

Prepping the balloon for fill.

Checklists are important!

Nearing complete fill.

Moving the payloads into launch position.

Lift off from Morgan School.

Just before burst around 95,000'.

Clouds and their shadows.

Coming down south of Wichita.

The last photo from the onboard still is just before touchdown. A large chunk of the balloon can be seen falling just above the payloads.

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Tracking Predictions

19 March 2019

Tomorrow's weather still looks great for the flight. I adjusted the ascent rate to match the final package weights, bringing it down to about 5.3m/s. Surface weather is calling for 3C, with light winds out of the west-northwest.

Flight prediction for March 19th.

18 March 2019

Other than the anomaly we had on the 16th, it looks like the trend is to head towards Wichita, bursting somewhere over the city, and then falling to the south-southeast. Surface weather is still forecast to be cloudy to partly-cloudy with nice temperatures topping out around 14C during the day. Surface winds are forecast to be light out of the northwest.

Flight prediction for March 18th.

17 March 2019

The prediction turned south again. It should begin to stabilize this week, but it appears that we're right on the edge of a front passing through on Tuesday. The flight path will be largely dependent on the timing of that front. Surface weather has changed from sunny to partly cloudy, but still very nice, seasonal weather for the launch.

Flight prediction for March 17th.

16 March 2019

Other than a generally eastward track, the predictions for 2019a continue to fluctuate every day.

Flight prediction for March 16th.

15 March 2019

Tonight's predictions are putting the landing site dangerously close to Wichita. If these predictions held, we would extend the flight by under-filling the balloon. The surface weather is looking very favorable to a chase and recovery.

Flight prediction for March 15th.