Comments on: Two Views of the Launch http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773 Our Journey to Space Sun, 11 Dec 2022 19:44:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Erik http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77241 Erik Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:13:06 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77241 Is it an option to stop the vertical movement so the balloons don't burst? Is it an option to stop the vertical movement so the balloons don’t burst?

]]> By: Karl Hallowell http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77226 Karl Hallowell Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:51:12 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77226 You're welcome. Brad. We'll still have to do most of our launches with someone holding the payload, but Tandem's approach does open up the possibility of safer launches with that configuration. You’re welcome. Brad. We’ll still have to do most of our launches with someone holding the payload, but Tandem’s approach does open up the possibility of safer launches with that configuration.

]]> By: Brad Heisler http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77221 Brad Heisler Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:46:34 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77221 Thanks for the reply Dr. Karl. I'm glad you could make the mission. Also the "risk manager" in me likes the way JPA thinks. If a gust were to come up, the "ride" might have been horizontal rather than vertical. It's good to learn about hands off launches with smaller Tandems so that when larger Tandems are launched there will be fewer surprises. Thanks for the reply Dr. Karl. I’m glad you could make the mission. Also the “risk manager” in me likes the way JPA thinks. If a gust were to come up, the “ride” might have been horizontal rather than vertical. It’s good to learn about hands off launches with smaller Tandems so that when larger Tandems are launched there will be fewer surprises.

]]> By: Karl Hallowell http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77215 Karl Hallowell Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:05:51 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77215 Brad, the lift wouldn't have been enough, unless you're the size of a small dog. The real problem would have been breaking the vehicle or getting whacked by the vehicle. Nobody near the vehicle means nobody gets hurt or breaks anything. Jack, we didn't have sensors on the balloon. Latex balloons are fairly well understood. They're also very thin and delicate. Almost anything is considered capable of tearing or puncturing a latex balloon, including tape and clothing! Having said that, occasionally we get new balloon designs (such as the 4000 gram balloons used on Tandem, we were one of the earliest customers). A testing system that can indirectly measure balloon attributes would be pretty useful for early launches of new designs. Brad, the lift wouldn’t have been enough, unless you’re the size of a small dog. The real problem would have been breaking the vehicle or getting whacked by the vehicle. Nobody near the vehicle means nobody gets hurt or breaks anything.

Jack, we didn’t have sensors on the balloon. Latex balloons are fairly well understood. They’re also very thin and delicate. Almost anything is considered capable of tearing or puncturing a latex balloon, including tape and clothing! Having said that, occasionally we get new balloon designs (such as the 4000 gram balloons used on Tandem, we were one of the earliest customers). A testing system that can indirectly measure balloon attributes would be pretty useful for early launches of new designs.

]]> By: Jack Kidder http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77203 Jack Kidder Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:20:27 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77203 Kind of interested in the electronics that it carried and used... did you put a triangulating set of sensors on the baloons to measure diameter and wall thickness at different altitiudes... along with temperature sensors on the skin of the baloons? The data would have been interesting... I think. Nice work!!! Kind of interested in the electronics that it carried and used… did you put a triangulating set of sensors on the baloons to measure diameter and wall thickness at different altitiudes… along with temperature sensors on the skin of the baloons? The data would have been interesting… I think.

Nice work!!!

]]> By: Brad Heisler http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77200 Brad Heisler Thu, 27 Oct 2011 22:40:35 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77200 That way no one ends up going for a "ride!" That way no one ends up going for a “ride!”

]]> By: Anthony Gregory http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77197 Anthony Gregory Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:59:38 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77197 That is correct That is correct

]]> By: Brad Heisler http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77195 Brad Heisler Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:15:54 +0000 http://jpaerospace.com/blog/?p=3773#comment-77195 I like the lower pic. Did Tandem actually launch with no one holding her? I like the lower pic. Did Tandem actually launch with no one holding her?

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