Flight Recap of EOSS-6

Launch date: May 30, 1992
Launch time: 15:45 UTC
Launch site: Bob Whiston Sand Hills Farm
                  12 Miles east of Longmont, Colorado  USA
Launch coordinates:  40.16232 deg NORTH
                              104.98991 deg WEST
Max Altitude: 75,000 ft.
Touchdown time: May 31, 1994 at 09:45 UTC est.
Touchdown Distance: 229.31 Miles
Touchdown coordinates:  41 deg 36.615 min NORTH
                                     101 deg 14 min WEST

Payload Systems:

  • Humble Telescope II
  • W6ORE Flight Controller
  • ATV - 426.250 MHz
  • Beacon - 147.555 MHz
  • Pressure Sensor used to determine altitude
  • Temperature sensors (internal and external)

Experiments:

  • The second flight of the Humble Telescope. See flight 4 for more information about this system.

Project Lead: Jack Crabtree, AA0P
Balloon Lead: Merle McCaslin, K0YUK
Launch Site Lead: Jack Crabtree, AA0P
Public Relations Lead: Marty Griffin, WA0GEH
Tracking and Recovery: Greg Burnett, K0ELM
Education Lead: Tom Isenberg, N0KSR

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Flight Highlights
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Disasters plagued this flight.

WX during the filling of the large (54,000 cu. ft.) zero pressure balloon were calm. However as launch time approached the winds increased in speed.

A problem during the launch happened when the main cord was cut by the painter line (support line for balloon prior to liftoff). This happened twice. The first time the balloon was lowered and retied. The same thing happened on the second attempt. It was released in this manner and flew the entire flight supported by the rip panel cord. In this condition the cut down system had no effect and the package could not be released. This caused the zero pressure balloon to remain in flight until night time when the cooling effect caused the balloon to lose altitude.

The balloon landed some 18 hours after launch and was recovered by a very dedicated tracking team. It landed 38 miles NNW of North Platte, Nebraska. Recovery time was 12:15 UTC on the 31st of May.