High Altitude Glider Project


Intro

Design
Airframe    
Hardware      
Software
Testing

Launch 1
Digesting 1

Launch 2
Digesting 2

Launch 3
Digesting 3

Launch 4

Launch 5

Glossary
Links
Contact

 

Onboard Photos from the First Launch

35mm photo set from balloon-launched flight #2.  All altitudes are in feet above sea level, as given by the GPS.

 

june_fly1.jpg (31714 bytes)

4100'

june_fly2.jpg (22168 bytes)

13,025'

june_fly3.jpg (24350 bytes)

18,700'

june_fly4.jpg (23774 bytes)

19,300'

june_fly5.jpg (22637 bytes)

33,750'

june_fly6.jpg (35091 bytes)

After hitting the chute.
(altitude unknown)

june_fly7.jpg (38858 bytes)

Ridge it landed on
(altitude unknown)

june_fly8.jpg (31589 bytes)

The landing site?
(altitude unknown)


The first camera did not take well to the vibration and tumbling the glider experienced on the way down, and several shutter hits did not result in a photo.  So with the index out of whack, there's no way to know the time or altitude of the three photos from the descent, other than that from their attitude and lack of motion blurring, they occurred under the parachute.

Several photos were commanded as the glider fell, in an effort to use up the film and get it to wind, but the camera evidently did not start working again until the shock of the parachute opening.  When the camera was inspected later, the gears were found to have been stripped, and it had to be carefully taken apart to wind the film by hand. 

Oddly, none of the glider's other internal systems showed any damage or misbehavior in post-flight inspection and testing.  Perhaps the difference is just due the camera being a well worn point-and-shoot to begin with.

 


Text and images © copyright 2002, Art Vanden Berg 
All Rights Reserved.
Last updated: December 14, 2003.