FLIGHT RECAP OF EOSS-32

LAUNCH DATE: Dec 6th, 1997
LAUNCH TIME: 15:22 UTC - 08:22MST
LAUNCH SITE: Pikes Peak Radio Control Club Airport (Here's a Map.) Located East of Falcon Colorado on US 24 (9 or 10 miles east of Colorado Springs on US 24). 4 miles east of Falcon take Judge Orr road east. Follow this road 4.2 miles to Pikes Peak Radio Control Club Airport. Use the simplex frequency at the launch site for talkin.
LAUNCH SITE COORDINATES:

  • 38deg 57' 17.65" North Latitude
  • 104deg 30' 04.43 West Longitude

TOUCHDOWN COORDINATES:

  • 38 deg 38.78 min N
  • 103 deg 04.59 min W

TRACK: 107 Degrees, Approx 81 Miles

PREDICTED TRACK: 112.2 Degrees, 75.1 Miles

FLIGHT EXPERIMENT: Gas Capture Experiment and In flight Ozone Experiment
PROJECT INTEGRATOR: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS)

FREQUENCIES:

  • Launch Site:
    • Simplex 146.550 MHz
  • Telemetry:
    • 144.340 MHz FM (1 Watt output) - The Packet telemetry stream is in ax.25 format at 1200 baud and is readable in plain english for the most part. Included in each telemetry frame is an APRS position string (APRS users see note below). Every few minutes a CW ID is transmitted on this frequency.
  • ATV:
    • EOSS Shuttle Video - 426.250 MHz AM (1 Watt output) - NTSC video
  • Foxhunters:
    • 448.450 MHz Pikes Peak FM Association Repeater
    • 146.58 MHz Simplex Field Frequency
  • HF Net:
    • 7.235 MHz no net control set as of this writing

notes:

Shuttle Generated Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS):

  • Did not fly this time. Sorry about preflight misinformation.

ATV:

  • The Amateur Video Signals from the payload worked just fine.

PACKET:

  • Packet Telemetry was received throughout the flight. APRS Beacons were tracked by stations using the new APRSa4 program and plotted on Street Atlas USA (very nice). We tried to link the flight into the internet as a test but were unsuccessful. One of these days, you should be able to watch flights progress on your screen from anywhere in the world.

Click for a zip file containing the packet Log file and a Street Atlas V4 (works in 5) POS file.

Fox Hunter's Recap

Hi Folks, I'm sure Larry will post a good summary of the EOSS 32 flight, but from the tracking and recovery team, we wish to report the following.

The flight was about 82 miles and landed within two minutes of our projected touchdown time and 3 miles from our adjusted projection at burst.

Because George N0NJM once again had tracking team members (WB5YOE, Richard) located at the touchdown site, no total loss of signal was experienced.

The last bearing before touchdown was calculated and was within one mile of the touchdown. Pretty precise for only four RDF bearing takers!

Launch time was 0823 MST, Burst time was 0948 and touchdown was at 1021. Burst was at 84,000 feet, 57 miles down range at 108 degrees.

Thanks to Lonnie, N0PCZ for running the tracking program from home. Great job!

Thanks to Rick, N0KKZ, for his weather information and quality interpolation during the flight.

Thanks to Don, WA9WWS, for the data from the launch site during the progress of the flight as well as his landmark 4:30 am report!

Thanks to Larry, N0STZ, for staying on the GPS and walking 1.5 miles out to the payload, and his red face!

Thanks to Richard, WB5YOE, for being at the right place and walking out to the payload

Thanks to Dave, KB0LP for manning the roadside liaison between the walking team and the rest of the world. We were all safer because of his efforts.

Thanks to Brian, KCAPA for working closely with GPS and within the team guidelines

Thanks to Dan, N0PUF, for going out east again and for great bearings

Thanks to Jack, AA0P for recognizing we were short hunters, following GPS and supporting our efforts

Thanks to Merle, K0YUK for more gas and shortening the flight

Thanks to George, N0NJM, for riding with me and providing the wisdom of a veteran field coordinator

Thanks to Jean's Cafe in Hugo for the greatest hamburgers on record, and general indigestion on the way home

Thanks to the launch team for putting one up there with all systems go!

Thanks to UCCS for trusting us to get their experiment back to them

Thanks to Pikes Peak FM Association for the use of their fine 448.450 machine, we were never out of touch

Regards,

Marty Griffin - Field Coordinator for EOSS #32
George Riedmuller - Field Coordinator for EOSS #32

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