Fire In The Sky 2005
Here's some pics from the 2005 FITS balloon launch, sponsored by the Washington Aerospace Organization out of Tacoma, and held annually in Mansfield, WA over the Memorial Day weekend. The event is open to everyone interested in big rocket launches reaching 15,000 feet. Members of their group include amateur astronomers who bring their big lens telescopes to watch the night sky, and in this case, watch the balloon as it reached 87,000 feet altitude and burst. The balloon package included a pair of redundant APRS trackers so the parachute package could be recovered.
This sequence shows the latex balloon being layed out and filled with helium to achieve the desired lift
rate for a 12 pound package.
Once filled, the launch support group gently holds the scientific package to be
carried aloft, and a countdown precedes the launch.
The balloon and package are carried aloft on their way to 87,000 feet, to be
watched by the astronomical telescopes some of the rocket people brought out.
About 90 minutes later the package was recovered from a farmer's field 20 miles
downrange. The scientific package is brought back to the Mansfield HS classroom
where students who assembled the packages now get to see the fruits of their
efforts. One package included a camera that took this picture.
Look for more fun at this year's event over the Memorial Day weekend in
Mansfield, WA, located west of Banks Lake and Grand Coulee, WA.