Mini-Launch, Compatible

Yesterday morning was the first real balloon launch of the season! (And the first launch since the Australia “Mishap”, also available in several forms on youtube.) BARREL is a small payload that requires only a “hand launch” rather that requiring the large launch vehicle (aka The Boss). Still, a launch is a launch, and launches are exciting—especially if it’s your payload, or you’ve never seen one before.

Afterwards, Joseph rounded up the riggers to take BLAST out to the pad so he could test the CSBF GPS system. (I hope you’ll forgive me if I post a few pictures very similar to last time.) And since the weather continued to look good, we decided to stay outside and conduct the official “Compatibility” test. In this test BLAST and CSBF each confirm that the other doesn’t break its systems. Compatibility is another of the fabled portents said to precede balloon launches.

: Launch setup seen from our deck. Black piball (pilot balloon) flies to measure low-level winds

: Inflation begins. The fill tube always makes me think of Ghostbusters

: Spectators, standing outside the 300ft Danger Zone

: The “small” balloon inflates rapidly

: The balloon, getting kind of “full” (it gets much fuller as it rises and the atmospheric pressure drops)

: This is the closest shot I could get of BARREL

: Anne prepares another piball

: Ready to launch. The riggers by the payload are the hand launchers

: Release!

: Rising. Everything happened so quick that I didn’t get a picture of the launch

: Up, up, and away

: The tracking telescope is quickly abandoned because of the clouds

: BLAST’s turn. The Boss shows up to take us outside

: Lorenzo approves

: Nick takes us out with the crane

: Vic climbs above the masses to do his crane-switch-thing

: The crane-switch-thing in action

: Crane thing switched

: There were lots of clouds here, but sun in the distance

: Vic moves around to find the best vantage point

: Curtis is the Cage Man/Leashmaster again

: Lifted

: Backing up, making room to turn. The Boss can turn on about 1 million dimes (actual estimate!)

: Joe carries a ladder

: Some more of BLAST strutting its stuff outside

: Lifting arms

: Dropped off on the dance floor

: The Boss needs to get out of the way for GPS to work right

: But he doesn’t go far

: Holes. Make for good viewing

: Enzo and Nick discuss power

: Tom orients the antennas for better signal at their receivers

: Strapped down to 1200lb ingots. We learned how useful this can be, last time

: Laura. Laughing at my hat

: Circular Tour of BLAST: back and unshielded port side

: Back and shielded starboard

: Only the shielded starboard (and solar panels, getting lots of power, even in the clouds)

: Front starboard. Still shielded as we get really close to the sun on this side

: The front-side chin

: Exposed front-port. And generator

: Starboard. The best part of asymmetric shields (other than looking cool and getting you really close to the sun) is that you can still see things other than sun shields all around