| Flight Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Launch Date/Time | Saturday, 6 July, 2002 at 7:00am |
| Alternative Date | Sunday, 7 July 2002 |
| Launch Site | Johnson Near Space Center (39º 05.072'N, 96º 39.343'W) near Manhattan, KS |
| Alternate Launch Site | Herington Airport (38º 41.861'N, 96º 48.599'W) east of Herington, KS |
| Primary Transmitter / Antenna | VX-1R HT running APRS on 144.34MHz / Vertically polarized dipole |
| Backup Transmitter / Antenna | Keyed oscillator on 147.455MHz (no modulation) / Horizontally polarized dipole |
| Balloon / Gas | Kaymont 600gram / 130 cu feet of Helium |
| Estimated Burst Altitude | 72,000' MSL |
| Estimated Ascent Rate | 1320' per minute |
| Estimated Descent Rate | Approx. 1000' per minute at touchdown |
| Capsule(s) weight | 2lb 2oz (962g) including parachute, rigging, batteries, etc... |
| Chase Frequencies | 14?.??MHz, 7.2535MHz |
Flight Results
The Great Plain Super Launch out of Herington went great! It was a lot of fun and the small payload flew perfectly.
| Flight Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Launch Date/Time | Saturday, 6 July, 2002 at 9:38am |
| Launch Site | Herington Airport (38º 41.861'N, 96º 48.599'W) near Herington, KS |
| Burst Altitude | 72,840ft (22,204m) MSL |
| Average Ascent Rate | 1328ft/min (6.75m/s) |
| Measured Descent Rate | Approx. 1180ft/min (6.00m/s) at touchdown |
| Touchdown Site | 5 miles northwest of Herington, KS (38º 43.9530'N, 97º 00.4503'W) |
| Touchdown Time | Saturday, 6 July, 2002 at 11:10am |
| Recovery Time | Saturday 6 July, 2002 at 11:30am |
| Distance Traveled | 10 miles as the crow flies |
| Total Flight Time | 1 hours 32 minutes |
| Downloads | Lat/Lon File, Flight Analysis |
Lessons Learned
- The APS camera exposed almost all frames of film in the air, but they were blurry. After spending some time with the manual, it appears that there's a exposure sensor above lens that sets the shutter speed. Next time we will mount the whole camera against a plexiglas window so that the camera can have full view of the ground.
- The 50lb-test Kevlar SpiderLine 'weak link' finally held. Jon took the time to put a real knot in it (without use of epoxy) and it held. We'll fly doubles for a while until we're comfortable with it.