JP Aerospace News Update | International Space Fellowship

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John Powell, President JP Aerospace shared with us on his website:

I put up some new pics yesterday of the vehicles during inflation tests. www.jpaerospace.com/ascender175.html.

In February we’re launching a high altitude balloon (Away 26) to test a telemetry system upgrade.
The flight will also be carrying payload for a space elevator company.

latest happenings at JPA

20 January 2005
PongSats are starting to arrive for the Away 26 mission.

Away 26 will look a lot like Away 25. The major differences are:

To be flown on two latex balloons instead of three poly balloons.

Live video downlink with four camera heads.

New command/control system.

Spread spectrum telemetry system running in parallel with our standard system.

Kevlar reinforcements on the stabilizer fins.

Equipment temperature recording system.

All system (except the emergency backup beacon) will be power by rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

There will also be the standard high rack equipment:

Backup balloon release system.

Command deployed parachute.

Camcorder.

Digital camera.

GPS tracking system.

Beacon.

and of course PongSats!

17 January 2005
Work continues on Away 26. All of the components are nearing completion. The next big step is integrating all the parts into one flight system. If anyone out there has a PongSat to fly now is the time. There is space available on Away 26 for about 30 more.

JP Spoke last last weekend at the Society for Amateur Scientist annual conference in Las Vegas. It was three days of being blown away by amazing work being done by citizen scientists from around the world.. Everyone needs to checkout their website at www.sas.org.

There are new Ascender pictures on the site. Just click on the the big Ascender picture on the main page to check them out.

11 January 2005 – Mach Gliders

For the ATO program to succeed we need better information about flight dynamics in the upper atmosphere. Mach Gliders are our tool to both gather the data and a test bed for implementing designs. Mach gliders are miniature Ascenders carried to the upper atmosphere by balloon or rocket.

Mach Glider program outline:

Cylindrical balloon construction and indoor rapid inflation tests. DONE

From sabot (carrying sleeve for the cylindrical balloon) ground deployment. DONE

10,000 foot rocket deployment and inflation of cylindrical balloon.

Mach Glider construction and indoor rapid inflation tests. IN PROGRESS

From sabot (carrying sleeve for the Mach Glider) ground deployment.

10,000 foot rocket deployment and inflation of cylindrical balloon.

100,000 foot Mach Glider drop from Away mission.

Rocket deployed Mach Glider at 200,000 feet.

Rocket deployed Mach Glider at 200,000 feet with a rocket booster on the Mach Glider.

Rocket deployed Mach Glider at 400,000 feet.

Rocket deployed Mach Glider at 400,000 feet with a rocket booster on the Mach Glider.

9 January 2005

Away 26 High Rack vehicle is getting closer to flight. This flight will lift off in February from the Black Rock desert in Nevada. Away 26 will test some of the new systems needed for our more advanced vehicles. Today work progressed on the new spread spectrum telemetry system and the internal temperature data gathering system. The High Rack structure itself is complete as well as the new generation command controller and the live video system.

The Sacramento L5 Society had its monthly meeting here today. It was great to see the gang.

\"Closing Bell\" on CNBC will be airing a segment on the new commercial Space Race.

08:03 pm

Cape launch site could host new commercial rocket fleet

04:27 pm

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