[Space] Sunday

Mikolaj Habryn dichro at rcpt.to
Mon Mar 8 17:29:00 UTC 2010


Long day on Sunday. Density observations worth noting:

XPS: 0.48 grams per cubic inch.
EPS: 0.27 grams per cubic inch.

We're looking at about an 18"x6"x6" EPS payload at the moment.

More importantly, we spent a while talking about Yuri's Night and what
we could do for it. Ideas proposed, in increasing order of interest:

Display booth: run up some poster-size prints from the launch, have
the various electronic and physical parts lying around on a table,
talk to people about balloons.

Postcard launch: particularly for education day, invite kids to fill
in postcards addressed back to Noisebridge, attach them to party
balloons and release. Do something visual with delivery information
when they're returned.

Balloon installation: tether a full-size weather balloon overhead,
either in a hangar or in the open. Attach giant Noisebridge sign,
cameras, display running video feeds.

Display launch: release a balloon with basic radio gear, set up a
real-time tracking dashboard for punters to admire after the launch,
don't expect to recover it. Makes sense if there's an event schedule
that we can fit into, and we can make a interesting presentation out
of the fill and launch.

Real launch: release a balloon, but do something useful with it. In
this case, since we're launching in controlled airspace, we could do
the UAV test - launch the balloon with UAV attached, release the UAV
while still within Moffet-controlled airspace, bring it back to land
at the event. There'll probably be exotic airshow things going on
already, so clearing a half-hour window might be feasible for
something like this.

Did I miss anything? The basic question is how much room does the
event have for us, both physically and in their schedule. I'd love to
do the UAV launch, but that may require too much co-ordination with
too many people - I'm not sure I'm interested enough to just do a
display booth, but it's an option. Anything from the postcard launch
on up is worthwhile on its own merits, I think.

m.



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