| SSI-87
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| Designations
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CY-3
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| Launch date
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June 1, 2019, 10:20 PDT
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| Launch site
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Le Grand Elementary School, Le Grand, CA
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| Launch coordinates
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37.226, -120.251
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| Flight profile
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Ballast and vent control
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|
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SSI-87 (project designation CY-3) was the third launch of Project Cycloon on June 1, 2019. It featured a legacy ballast and vent mechanism from ValBal operated by Cycloon avionics and was the first such fully controlled Cycloon flight. The mission was noted for its eventful manual equilibration, early termination, and for being the last latex Cycloon before the project transitioned to polyethylene. The payload was recovered the afternoon of the launch.
Project context
Before and around the time of the previous flight, CY-2, a reevaluation of project goals for the quarter had been underway. While a full apex vent equipped flight had originally been envisioned for the weekend of June 2, delays on the project prompted a decision to focus more on quick iterations and numerous launches rather than awaiting longer term initiatives. In particular, it was decided that a legacy ValBal vent mechanism, while unlikely to suffice as a long-term solution, was sufficient and necessary for building altitude control expertise within Cycloon in the short term. Therefore, on May 19, the day after CY-2, it was decided that two payloads would be launched on June 1, each with ballast, vent, and (winds permitting) tether and floater mechanism.
Configuration
Flight synopsis