Flight Announcement EOSS-48

Flight Related info

• Prediction Page offers a map and text prediction of the flight path for the upcoming mission.
• A couple of WX Links
• EOSS Hardware Page - some photos and descriptions of various EOSS payloads
• APRS LIVE Tracking of EOSS Payloads on the Internet
• Maps and Directions to "all" of the EOSS standard Launch Sites.
• Check the EOSS List Server for the most up to date info.

If an EOSS payload is highlighted, there is a link to an information page about that payload.

Here is a recap of EOSS-46

Upcoming Flights

• EOSS-48 - Pioneer Astro

• EOSS-49 - Colorado University

• EOSS-50 - NOAA Gains flight

• EOSS-?? - UCCS Flight
  

EOSS-48

LAUNCH DATE: April 1st, 2001

Due to weather considerations for Saturday we've postponed for one day.

LAUNCH TIME: 15:00 UTC - 09:00 MDT
LAUNCH SITE: Windsor, Colorado, Gene Fatton�s Ranch
LAUNCH SITE COORDINATES:

• 40.4744 Degrees N. Latitude
• -104.9628 Degrees W. Longitude

PRIMARY INTEGRATOR: Pioneer Astronautics, Dr. Robert Zubrin [KC0IIK], Gary Snyder [N7QAM], Mark Caviezel [KC0JHQ], �Mars Micro Balloon Probe�.

PRIMARY EXPERIMENT(S):

• This is the sixth of many planned EOSS flights for the �Mars Micro Balloon
  Probe� which will place a series of balloons in the Martian atmosphere.  The
  objectives of this flight are to test and develop inflatable gases from
  compounds that are normally liquids at Standard Temperature and Pressure
  (STP).   The Mars surface pressure is simulated at 100,000 feet above sea
  level, thus the experiment on an EOSS balloon.  This experiment will attempt
  to inflate balloons using various compounds. 
• Additionally, two 600 gram �Grape� drag balloons will be flown to help stabilize
  the payload on decent while deploying the micro balloon.  This experimental
  drag balloon concept will be deployed on Mars missions if successful.

CROSS BAND REPEATER: The RMRL cross-band repeater will be deployed.  QSL cards will be issued for successful contacts through the repeater. Look at this footprint of our last filght! Were you inside it? If so, you could have contacted anyone else within the footprint with nothing more than a dual band HT with a rubber duck antenna, although it's tough to get through. An excellent station need only be a mobile radio with a mag mount antenna or similar configuration, using 10 or more watts output.

The payload was cut down a little above 93,811 feet.  EOSS-48 should be quite similar. For operation guidelines see the cross band repeater page.

footprint at 93,811 ft. ASL
Mapping Software - Street Atlas V 8.0

APRS:

• The packet callsign was:  W0WYX

NET AND OPERATION FREQUENCIES:

HF Net:

• 7.235 MHz Bruce, NA0BR net control starts @15:30 UTC
• 7.232 MHz Alternate Frequency

Preflight Foxhunter Net:  

• 147.225 MHz Colorado Repeater Association at 8:00PM the preceding night

Launch Site: 

• Simplex 146.550 MHz

Beacon:        

• 144.340 MHz FM (350 milliwatts output).  
  • CW beacon and cut down system

Cross-Band Repeater:

• Input 445.975 MHz
• Output 147.555 MHz
• Net Control K0YG, Mark (tentative)

APRS Output: 

• 147.555 MHz, Output of Crossband Repeater

ATV:

• 426.250 MHz.

Tracking Teams:

• 449.450 MHz Rocky Mountain Radio League (RMRL)
• 146.58 MHz Simplex Field Frequency
• Click on Tracking Teams for more info

Grid Placement for April 1, 2001

Notes:

Shuttle Generated Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS):

Some of the APRS systems aboard EOSS payloads will act as digipeaters. However, we request that only the Chase team use this system in order to minimize the disruption to the packet telemetry. Chase team APRS info is used to assist in coordinating placement of the various DF teams.

Please disable your beacons on the EOSS packet frequencies, as that will minimize interference to other stations in your area trying to copy telemetry. Of course, if we are on the National APRS frequency, you should continue to beacon out your data as usual. WE do NOT want to interfere with 144.390 MHz traffic other than to add our balloon's location.

ATV

ATV is transmitted on 426.250 MHz. This is equivalent to cable channel 58. If you have a high gain 70 centimeter antenna, it may be possible to view the video on a normal TV. However, we only transmit 1 watt so you will need a very high gain antenna for this frequency.