The city is on lockdown but the work goes on. Just me at the shop. I’ve been working on anti tip struts for the sub. We’re printing the strut brackets and feet. They don’t bear much load and there will be 20 of them.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
The Beat Goes On
Saturday, March 21st, 2020Rendezvous
Tuesday, March 10th, 2020
The Away 108 balloon 1/4 mile off from the Away 103 balloon. We’re developing docking for Ascender airships & Dark Sky Station using balloons for the 1st steps. Next, pointing control, low thrusting tests, finally balloon bumping at peak altitude. Best guess, an 18 test flight series.
Submarine Progress
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020Today we’re pulling all the vertical thrusters off Belle. These are the four 30lb thrust trolling motors controlled with quad copter software. We are sealing the shafts then remounting them. Getting closer and closer to 1st dive.
High Altitude Airship Valve Test 2
Thursday, February 27th, 2020We’ve been upgrading the airship helium valves. They flew on A129 & they’ll get tested again on Away 130. We’ve changed the plumbing & doubled piston pressure. Here’s a pic of the valves on the last test & some bad drawing to show how it all goes together.
They are going to be install on the 48 foot Ascender airship expected to fly late next year. We expect to fly three high altitude tests before they go on an airship.
Common Architecture
Tuesday, February 11th, 202080 foot carbon airship truss. We use a ‘Common Architecture’ system for everything we fly. This is not only an Ascender airship truss but a Dark Sky Station truss and a Tandem airship truss. Take a chunk off the end and it’s a rack that we fly PongSat missions on.
#jpaerospace
Working the Program
Friday, January 24th, 2020High altitude airship valve testing. Before a part goes on one of our airships, we haul up to the edge of space and put it through it’s paces. The first is the old generation helium valve, the second, the new. The new goes up for testing again on Away 130.
PongSat Mission Patch
Friday, January 24th, 2020You totally want a PongSat Mission Patch! (Jedi mind trick marketing). PongSats student payloads are always flown for free. To pay for it we sell patches, tee shirts, books, PDF’s anything to keep us flying. Check out this awesome space patch at our store:
https://dark-sky-market.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/pongsat-mission-patch
The JPA Store