Comments on: Heading for the Desert http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3196 Our Journey to Space Sun, 11 Dec 2022 19:44:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Karl Hallowell http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3196#comment-77002 Karl Hallowell Sat, 14 May 2011 14:10:38 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3196#comment-77002 I have served on a number of missions, but I don't speak in an official capacity here. My understanding is that helium is a relatively modest part of overall mission cost. Further, the use of hydrogen requires both increased operational complexity ("proper handling") and manpower. I believe we value operational simplicity and manpower more than helium. For example, with the current scheme, there is no issue with a visitor coming right up to the balloon, while puffing on a cigarette, and asking what is up. With hydrogen, we'd probably have to rope off a fair sized area to insure no one got that close. And someone would need to be detailed to make sure this zone wasn't entered by visitors. But in some of our missions we don't have that sort of manpower to spare. JP Aerospace is very fortunate in that it has a cadre of experienced, reliable volunteers. But the more demands you place on manpower, the less likely you can assemble the manpower you need to run a mission. And if you can't get enough people to show, the mission doesn't happen. Yes, helium is much more expensive than hydrogen, but at this point, that cost is secondary to reliable, relatively simple mission execution. I have served on a number of missions, but I don’t speak in an official capacity here. My understanding is that helium is a relatively modest part of overall mission cost. Further, the use of hydrogen requires both increased operational complexity (“proper handling”) and manpower. I believe we value operational simplicity and manpower more than helium.

For example, with the current scheme, there is no issue with a visitor coming right up to the balloon, while puffing on a cigarette, and asking what is up. With hydrogen, we’d probably have to rope off a fair sized area to insure no one got that close. And someone would need to be detailed to make sure this zone wasn’t entered by visitors.

But in some of our missions we don’t have that sort of manpower to spare. JP Aerospace is very fortunate in that it has a cadre of experienced, reliable volunteers. But the more demands you place on manpower, the less likely you can assemble the manpower you need to run a mission. And if you can’t get enough people to show, the mission doesn’t happen.

Yes, helium is much more expensive than hydrogen, but at this point, that cost is secondary to reliable, relatively simple mission execution.

]]> By: Joe Mertens http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3196#comment-76994 Joe Mertens Sun, 08 May 2011 01:48:02 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3196#comment-76994 Hellow! love the work your doing! I would like to sugest you use Hydrogen for your pong sat lifts/flights to cut costs. As a cheaper gas than heleum and with minimal risk with proper handling to ground crew you could excelerate the bigger project of geting a near space station up and running. I belive in your company and it's goals I just want to see you achive them as fast as you can humanity needs to go to space and continue exploring the universe. Hellow! love the work your doing! I would like to sugest you use Hydrogen for your pong sat lifts/flights to cut costs.
As a cheaper gas than heleum and with minimal risk with proper handling to ground crew you could excelerate the bigger project of geting a near space station up and running.
I belive in your company and it’s goals I just want to see you achive them as fast as you can humanity needs to go to space and continue exploring the universe.

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