SSI-44
Revision as of 01:27, 27 October 2016 by Paigeebrown (talk | contribs)
| SSI-44 (Zeus) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[ | 250px]] | ||||
| Launch date | October 22, 2016 | |||
| Launch site | 2093 San Juan Drive, Hollister, CA | |||
| Launch coordinates | 36.84842,-121.43236 | |||
| ||||
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
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
| Balloon Launches | |
|---|---|
| 2014-15 | SSI-19 • 20 • 21 • 22 |
| 2015-16 | SSI-23(a) • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 |
| 2016-17 | 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 |
| 2017-18 | |
| 2018-19 | 83 • 86 • 87 • 90 • 91 |
| 2019-20 | 92 • 93 • 97 |
| V • E | |