Flight #2000-9 "Leonids II"
Launch Date: November 17.
November 13, 2000
Well, it's official: mission 2000-9 has been cancelled. The reason is
forecasts for poor weather on the weekend of the 17th. It was decided that even
if we could make our cloud-cover launch constraints, the added snow would make
things hazardous for our chase teams. Night missions are hard enough as it is
without the risk of getting lost and/or stuck in unfamiliar terrain in the dark.
Appologies to everyone who has worked so hard to get ready for this mission.
We will definately fly it, but not until the spring of 2001.
November 12, 2000
The weather outlook for our first zero-pressure balloon launch is looking dubious.
Both the primary and secondary launch sites look like they may be clouded out the
entire weekend of the target launch date.
The payload has been changed. The 8mm camcorder/image intensifier has been dropped
from the design. The payload now consists of the new modular bus structure designed
primarily by Blaise and Mark, which will include for this flight: power subsystem, Stamp II
flight computer/GPS receiver/pico-packet board, 2M transmitter board, and Stamp II
science board. Four aerogel-based dust collectors with servo-controlled shutters
were built by Charlie and will be mounted on the outside of the gondola. We will
be using a new, dual-stage cut-down device since the zero-pressure balloon envelope
must be terminated by a ripcord. We will also by flying the 'zero air pressure
deployment' ballistic parachute built for us by the US Air Force parachute shop
(Grand Forks Air Force Base, thanks guys!!).
October 2, 2000
This flight will be our first zero-pressure balloon launch. The aim is to capture
the Leonids meteor shower on tape using an 8mm camcorder and image intensifier.
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