SSI-44

SSI-44 (Zeus)
[[ Team Zeus on Launch Day | 250px]]
Launch date	October 22, 2016
Launch site	2093 San Juan Drive, Hollister, CA
Launch coordinates	36.84842,-121.43236
←SSI-43 SSI Balloon Launches SSI-45→

SSI-44 was constructed and launched over the course of two weeks as an introductory onboarding launch for team Zeus, also known as "The SSEA Team" for the overwhelming number of members who were also participants in the Stanford Summer Engineering Academy. The launch was successful, as was the recovery, and it was SSI's first post-sunset recovery.

Payload Description

• One box made of two vertically conjoined boxes
• Selfie stick with convex mirror out in front of GoPro, balanced with dope-ass Zeus flag
• Adorned with Kirill's, Aria's, and Brandon's faces, along with SSI stickers, the American flag, and gold and space duct tape
• Plastic bin on the bottom filled with slips of paper with Kirill's face, name, and number, secured with a string designed to be cut with a Nichrome wire at a designated altitude
• Keychain camera wrapped in handwarmers and duct tape secured to bottom of payload
• Parachute release mechanism connected to payload, balloon, and parachute, designed to release both parachute and balloon when the balloon popped
• Included customary sensors, avionics, and communications

Schematic of Payload Design

The Payload Immediately Prior to Launch

Parachute Release Mechanism

Prep and difficulties

• SPOT wouldn't connect, couldn't find satellites
• Then GPS wouldn't connect (blocked by gimbal)
• Nichrome wire accidently turned on during testing, cutting the string
• Thermocouple apparently under duct tape :(
• GoPro set to picture mode, took one picture every second instead of video :/
• Loop on top of parachute too big, got caught on the release mechanism (fixed with a ziptie)
• Launched at around noon after securing to the balloon with a very extensive sketch knot (duct taped many times over)

Flight

• Origin (2093 San Juan Drive, Hollister, CA)
• Flew __ miles for __ hours approximately north-east
• Landed north of Modesto, near Yosemite, on a cattle ranch, 2.5 miles off the main road

Recovery

• Last to pick up
• Gate was locked (including ominous signs, a tire, and bullet holes), debated trespassing
• Talked to a neighbor who knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy who had the key
• Talked to the first guy, he directed us to the next one
• Talked to the second guy, really sketchy, wouldn't come out from behind screen door, directed us to the next one
• Talked to Pat Aries, owner of a llama and goat farm, he knew the guy with the key, but he was 200 miles away so he gave us permission to trespass
• Group split, only Theo's and Kirill's cars stayed
• Recovery team: Kirill, David, Celeste, Paulina, Ella, Marco, Hannah, Ryan, Jesus, Paige, Phillip
• Sun was setting as we hopped the gate, so we jogged
• 0.5 miles on a dirt road, came to a pasture and a gate, hopped that
• 1 mile on a trail in the weeds, it ended, we walked through the weeds
• Came to a barbed wire fence with cows on the other side
• Avoided cows by going up and over a hill
• Found the trail on the other side, followed it 1 mile to the payload

Post recovery

• Parachute release mechanism successfully deployed both parachute and balloon
• Key chain camera snapped off, was lost
• Mirror had been turned upside down, out of view of camera
• Gopro still had battery, but SD card was full
• Nichrome wire failed to cut, didn't release papers
• We carried it back down the path
• Ran into some cows, ran away from some cows
• Kirill kicked a toad :(
• Made it back to the car an hour after recovery
• Got dinner in Modesto