Yesterday CREAM finally launched. They were ready early in the campaign, and had been waiting a long time—first for the circumpolar winds to set up, and then for good launch weather. This means that BLAST is up next!
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- CREAM, at the beginning of the operation
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- The other launch equipment: spool, helium, balloon
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- The parachute is driven out
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- The balloon, wrapped in a red plastic sleeve, is threaded through the spool
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- Unboxing proceeds by driving the box sled along the line
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- The CREAM team also gathers to watch, of course
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- The whole scene, for a sense of scale. The balloon is going to meet the parachute, by the cart and people near The Boss
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- Mark smoking while bathed in light
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- Joseph spends some time in the light too
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- Inflation begins
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- Inflation proceeds with relative rapidity to start. This is after a few minutes (the time it took to inflate BARREL’s balloon)
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- A pair of riggers hold the balloon until they can’t anymore. This is about where they can’t anymore
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- The balloon wobbles after being let go
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- And it overshoots the upright position, slightly
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- Inflation proceeds. Inflation proceeds for a while
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- The whole scene again
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- The group of inflation watchers on our deck (a few people were still working inside)
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- Gowoon is really excited
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- Ludo seems pretty pleased too
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- More on-deck watchers (see what I did there? These watchers are on a deck, and figuratively on-deck for launching)
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- The balloon. Don’t cross the streams!
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- The wind picks up a bit and inflates the parachute
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- Which seems like a good excuse to photograph the whole scene again
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- Helpers come out in the pirate cart
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- The parachute is emptied, and then tied closed
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- The fill tubes on either side of the balloon
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- Filling looks like fun, but must be pretty tiring after going on for an hour
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- I piggy back on a CREAM team photo op
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- In a freak accident, Natalie’s legs are replaced by scrawny bamboo poles
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- Antennas sticking out of the highbay. We’re not using them right now (especially the transmitting ones)
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- The balloon is getting full enough that all us not-launch-critical folks are evacuated to a “safe distance”
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- The Great Pumpkin. One of two gondola-proof structures that we’re to run into in case of emergency
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- Natalie helps Laura practice what to do if CREAM heads right toward her
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- Safety perimeter for everyone that’s Site Critical but not Launch Critical
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- The view from our new position. Buildings almost get in the way
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- CREAM folks are Launch Critical, and allowed to stand closer
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- Barth holds onto a safety flag
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- Just in time, Luke shows up to keep us all safe
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- He wears an extra red shirt to be easily identifiable
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- The balloon is released!
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- The balloon rising
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- Getting more vertical
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- Slowly getting more vertical
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- Eventually, without really needing to move, The Boss is directly below the balloon
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- Then floors it in reverse after pulling the pin
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- Fly, fly, fly!
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- CREAM rising
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- Bits of the skirt fall from above. We worry about these hitting our large gondola
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- Off it goes
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- We watch it rise, bit by bit, into the perfectly clear sky
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- Rachel, who visited before was out to help in the galley. She picked a good day
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- Scott packs up his camera equipment
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- Empty balloon box
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- Still rising. You could see it all day, getting tinier and tinier (also, the little piball is jut above)
Hallo Lorenzo,
Ieri il tuo padre mi dava la possibilità di vedere le vostre foto online. Che sensazione di vederti ed i tuoi colleghi così lontano da qui. Qui è come giù da te, neve, neve, neve e forse un po’ più freddo. Ma….non abbiamo un cielo così blu!!! Come va il lavoro in questi giorni? Spero che riuscite a finire il lavoro per darti la possibilità di tornare a casa. Non sarà facile una situazione di vita, così “non-normale”. Ti auguro buona fortuna ed un Anno Nuovo pieno di successo, di soddisfazione e naturalmente di amore!
Un abbraccio, Claudia