Joseph asked if there was a description of the on deck projects. There is but it’s a forty page project management doc and not on the web. Here’s the short version:
1. Tandem Airship Status: Vehicle complete, First flight 2011
2. Positron Survey Mission 1 (Cloud Chamber High Rack). This will be a series of flights.
Status: Initial cloud chamber built and tested. Flight cloud chamber under construction.
3. Spaceflight Rocket Launch Box Flight
This will test the reel down mechanism for lowing the launch box away from the balloons. This flight will act as a dress rehearsal for the spaceflight rockoon mission.
Status: The structure is complete. Long length reel test to be done in the spring.
4. Spaceflight Rocket Low Altitude Ground launch.
This is both a training flight and a test of the new instrument configuration.
Status: Rocket, without instrumentation, is complete.
5. Crew Module Mockup
Status: Complete, but constantly being reconfigured.
6. Ascender 100 Air beam Rib.
Status: First generation rib built and tested. Second generation rib begin designed.
7. Swept wing RC plane Status: Construction plans being drafted.
8. Jellyfish balloons, Box Jelly, Moon Jelly and Cloud Jelly. Balloon for 200,000 foot plus altitudes.
Status: Initial Box Jelly test complete.
9. Balloon launched rocket to 70 miles. Status: Hip deep in paperwork.
10. Inner Lifting Cell Interface Deck Test Article.
Status: Materials purchased, assemble not yet started.
11. 25 foot Diameter Integrated Lifting Arm Dark Sky Station with Scale Crew Module.
Status: Pending #10.
12. Desktop Quad Engine
Status: Complete. Awaiting desert firing trip.
13. Small rocket launch from high rack.
Status: Two missions already completed. The vehicle for the third mission is complete and awaiting launch date.
14. Ascender 100 Nose Rib
Status: 80 percent rib completed and tested. Construction of flight rib not yet begun.
15. High altitude laser drag reduction system test.
Status: Dual laser test at 105,000 feet completed. Ten laser test pending getting six more lasers from discarded 16X or better DVD writers. If you have one send it along.
16. Roller Deployed Balloon Flight Test Rig
Status: Two low altitude flight completed. High altitude flight pending mechanism rebuild.
17. Long Structural Air Beams.
Status: One 50 foot air beam built. Low pressure tests complete.
18. Ascender 100. Status: Outer shell only complete.
Thanks for the descriptions. Some of them I didn’t know.
This is a lot of work! I very much appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to keep us (your fans) up to date. May I ask: Do you have any idea how many man-years of development are behind you? And, how many more are needed to reach your destination? Does anyone have any comparable numbers associated with NASA’s (or Russia’s) efforts?
Thank you for the description. This makes it a bit easier to follow all the updates on the blog.
Thanks again.