ANSR-41 Flight Summary

Launch 17 Nov 2007, 1614 UTC, (9:14 AM MST)

Payloads Payload Computer, University Student Payloads, NSRV Beacon


Flight Notes

3000 gram balloon

NASA/Arizona Space Grant Flight for Arizona State University, Embry-Riddle, and The University of Arizona

Successful test flight of NSRV Beacon antenna mounted directly to payload over solid ground plane.

Light cross band repeater use resulted in 20° F colder internal payload temperatures.

External temperature sensor added to Payload Computer after it was destroyed several flights ago.

Lesson Learned - Improve launch education to payload handlers regarding potentialneed to jog/run depending on balloon & wind conditions as balloon rises.

Lesson Learned -Extra gas fill on 3000g balloon did not result in lower burst altitude. Adhere to 20% over fill rule for all flights.

Student Projects

Below are presentations from each of the participating Universities. ANSR and The Arizona Space Grant Consortium have teamed together to support the ASCEND! program. ASCEND!, a statewide Arizona Space Grant Consortium Workforce Development program, is uniquely designed to involve undergraduate students from across Arizona in the full “design-build-fly-operate-analyze” cycle of a space mission.

Flight Data

Data and statistics recovered from Pico Beacon Flight Data Recorder:

41.0 statue miles from the launch site on a heading of 154° true

Fight time 1:45:45, landed 1800 UTC, (11:00 AM MST)

Departed at 1155', landed at 1522'

Peak altitude 99,229'

Average ascent rate 1312'/minute.  Average descent rate 3150'/minute.  At touch down 1593'/minute.

Lowest internal payload temperature 7.6° F, average 46.2° F.

Lowest external temperature -71.0° F, average -12.4° F.

GPS maintained 97.6% 3D lock during flight (Tumbling Payload lock loss).  Average PDOP 2.13.  Average of 8.3 tracked satellites.

Average bus voltage - Payload Computer 10.97 volts


Flight Data Recorder and Maps