JP Aerospace Blog

All the vehicles are now just sticks and boxes on the shelf. It’s both sad to see all seven of those magnificent vehicles gone and exhilarating knowing what they will emerge as next.

Here’s a fantastic writeup from a reporter with us in the desert. It’s very interesting to see it from the Japanese prospective.  They have lots of great pics too.

Space Balloon Project

The wind meter was showing 35 mph with gusts to 40.  Most balloon operations get shut down when the wind hits 8 mph. This was a real chance to see what our launch team could do.  It was fast and wild but smooth and flawless. In addition to the 35-40 launch we had two 20′s and one 10 mph wind launches.

Everyone says the world is on edge. Well, here’s the view from Away 57 a moment after balloon burst.

The launch in 20 knot winds.

Very Cool Dale!!!!

Near Space Odyssey

From Away 57. The first of the seven flights.

It was quite an adventure, but all recovery teams and flight vehicles are back safe and sound. Only thing left is backing up the flight data, packing and the travel home.

Seven runs to the edge of space in four days! We had over 200,000 viewers, hundreds of live images posts and tweets to the vehicles in flight and very jazzed partners. Recovery teams are still in the field heading for the last three vehicles. The team is dead tired (1:30 am starts, 10pm completions five days in a row), but completely pumped. We have lots of great new friends from Japan and a greatly stretched and expanded capability set. I’m off to recover one of the recovery 4wds that had to be abandoned in a particularly challenging canyon. More news as access allows.

JP

We’ve teamed up with Samsung to do this live event from the edge of space.

This is what we’ve been working on for the past six month. We’ve conducted seven test flights so far. Now it’s time for the real deal. The JPA Team and our teammates from Japan have been pushing hard these last few weeks getting everything ready. In addition to the folks from Japan JPA members from from Austria, Wyoming, Milwaukee and Oregon have flown in to join up with the local crew to really do this right.

Electronic wise these are the most complex vehicles we’ve ever built and it will all be flown and seen live for millions of folks, no pressure!

Myself and the last of the team rolls early tomorrow morning.   Wish us luck!

JP

Practice shots from the last mission.

Moment of Launch

Balloon Burst

One Roll then Reentry

Moment of Landing