To start the new year, SPIDER launched! After a frantic night and early morning of hurried preparations, we spent much of the day waiting on the weather. Excitement rapidly increased in the afternoon when the winds settled down and the balloon was unboxed and inflated. After pausing to celebrate a successful day of launch operations, we ran inside to start monitoring SPIDER as she ascends.
The first day of flight is exhausting, busy, and precious. While we can still see SPIDER, we have fast radio telemetry, which we use to get everything tuned and calibrated. Now SPIDER is happily scanning the sky.
Goodbye messages to SPIDER
Varying levels of sentimental
The Boss arrives
SPIDER goes outside to join
New window
Cut at the last minute due to thermal panic
Derek does his thing
Connecting us to The Boss
Smiley
SPIDER rolls off
Only to wait a while in the open
While tests are conducted
Team Pump on The Boss
As SPIDER drives off
SPIDER in the sun
Driving away
SPIDER and Mt Erebus
Cynthia and Mt Erebus
And overflowing excitement
Spool cart rolls out
This holds the balloon during inflation
The helium trucks
The balloon box joins everything else on the pad
Improvised volleyball net
Constructed while waiting for winds to cooperate
Balloon unboxing!
Piball launch
Tracked every half hour to measure winds
Inflation well underway
SPIDER waits
The whole flightline
Most of the space is occupied by balloon
Anne runs out to see
Stops bouncing long enough for a photo
Before running back inside to check cryogenic health
Tension lifts the parachute
SPIDER sweater spectators
And one odd duck
Peanut gallery
Advanced inflation
Spectator group photo
aka the people that didn't have work to do
Fill tubes cut and tied
Balloon release!
Mushrooming
Slow rise
Floating up in line with The Boss
SPIDER almost ready to launch
Almost vertical
Ready to release
Release!
Floating away
SPIDER in the sky
Watching SPIDER go
Team Pump returns
In triumph
Chaos in our control room
Lasts for the first 24 hours, while we have fast line-of-sight radio
Hours later, SPIDER is a tiny dot 35 km high
See upper right
Beautiful job Monika!!! I am so thankful that you were able to catpure my family and me. It is so wonderful to be in some photos for a change as well! My favorites are the ones with sun flare (I know the sun was fleeting that day) and the ones in the leaves and the pensive one of Gavin and, well you get the idea. Thank you so much!!! I am so glad that we are able to meet in person and form this friendship. I can’t wait until the next meet up. We had a blast.