website header logo

Flight #41 - 2021b

The 41st flight of the Project: Traveler group will again be launched from the Hutchinson Municipal Airport's.

The payload will include one Raspberry Pi camera, two APRS trackers, and a LoRaWAN transceiver being developed by Travis Baker, W0ECO.

Image

Flight Parameters

Launch Date/Time Sunday May 16, 2021 at 8:00am (13:00Z)  
Alternative Date n/a  
Launch Site Hutchinson Municipal Airport (38.07N, 97.87W)  

Capsule 1

(Track)

Tracker: ArduinoTrack transmitter signing W0ZC-11

  • 300mW
  • 144.39MHz 

Sensors: n/a

Beaconing: Delay

  • Beacons every 25 seconds
  • Path is disabled above 2000m MSL.

Cameras: 

  • n/a
 0.23kg

Capsule 2

(Track)

Tracker: ptFlex transmitter signing W0ZC-12

  • DRA818V Module
  • 500mW
  • 144.39MHz

Sensors: n/a

Beaconing: Delay

  • Beacons every 55 seconds
  • Path is disabled above 2000m MSL.

Cameras: n/a

  0.23kg

Capsule 3

(Track)

Tracker: LoRaWAN Tracker designed by Travis Baker, W0ECO

  • 100mW
  • 915MHz Band

Beaconing:

  • Below 900m MSL: 20s beacon with a Spread Factor 10 (SF10BW125)
  • Above 900m MSL: 10s beacon with a Spread Factor 8 (SF8BW125)

Beacons will be relayed into APRS-IS as W0ECO-12

Backup Tracker: Backup tracking beacon transmitting CW on 433.94MHz. Includes piezo beeper for audio tracking.

  • 433.94MHz CW

Sensors: n/a

Beaconing: Continuous every 10 seconds.

Cameras: 

  • n/a
 0.32kg
Recovery / Misc Parachute and misc rigging. 0.30kg
Flight Weight Total neck weight on balloon. 1.08kg
Balloon / Gas

1200g Kaymont with 6.09cu meters of Hydrogen.

  • Neck Lift: 5.4kg
  • Net Lift: 4.3kg
  
Estimated Burst Altitude 24,500m MSL (80,380')  
Estimated Ascent Rate 7.7m/s (1,515'/min)  
Estimated Descent Rate 6.6m/s (1,300'/min) velocity at touch-down.  
Chase Frequencies 446.100MHz  
NOTAM Filed High Altitude Balloon from HUT VOR on radial 038, east-northeast bound reaching Flight Level 600 from May 16 at 1300Z to May 16 2000Z. (HUT028/012)  

Flight Predictions

Flight Predictions May 15, 2021.

May 15, 2021

The surface weather forecast for tomorrow looks iffy in the morning. At this point we're still planning on giving it a shot, but watch this website and Facebook for last-minute updates to the plan.

Flight Predictions May 13, 2021.

May 13, 2021

The flight path continues to follow the same general path, landing north or north-east of Newton, KS.

Flight Predictions May 12, 2021.

May 12, 2021

Flight Predictions May 11, 2021.

May 11, 2021

The initial predictions are showing a flight path very similar to the flight back on May 1. The flight is being carried east-northeast with a landing somewhere north and east of Newton, KS.