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→

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