NEWS from the JACEE field team at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. (Messages have been edited slightly. -RJW) NOTE: messages are in reverse sequence, latest first. Last update: 12 January 1995, 11:00 am PST **Here ends the JACEE-13 saga; no further updates planned. -RJW ** -------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 3:12:13 -0600 (CST) From: ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov Subject: Notes on JACEE-13 Recovery After two unsucessful recovery attempts, JACEE-13 was finally rescued from the Antarctic Plateau on January 11. The recovery was difficult: Neither the C-130 or Twin Otter were able to land safely on the hard snow. At this point, Steve Peterzen decided to try again using two helicopters. Because the impact site was over 320 miles away, they had to stop several times to refuel. Fortunately, there was a cache of fuel just 65 miles from where JACEE-13 had come down. Conditions at the impact site were brutal: Elevation 8000', temperature -38 F, wind 20 kts. Steve and the helicopter pilots spent several hours disassembling the gondola and transporting the components to the fuel site. They got EVERYTHING: The emulsion chambers, the telemetry package, the gondola, and the parachute. Only the most important items were flown back to Willy: the parachute and gondola were stashed at the fuel site for later retrieval. Steve and the helicopters arrived back at Willy at about 9:20 p.m. I asked him to leave the emulsion boxes outside, as there had been some concerns about rapid re-warming of the chambers. Eric Zager and I headed out to Willy to check on the condition of the emulsion boxes and the flight data recorder. The C-130 and Twin Otter pilots weren't kidding when they said the impact site was "hard" - apparently JACEE-13 found it somewhat "firm" as well. The frame holding the telemetry package was warped, and the flight data recorder had been torn off. Steve reported that the aluminum frame of the gondola was bent. Fortunately, the emulsion boxes were in good condition. Several of the shifter packages were damaged when Steve and the pilots dragged the emulsion chambers back to the helicopters. I used some of the 2" white tape and some of UW's black electrical tape to try and repair some of the cut/torn areas. I figured the damage was already done, but wanted to keep the shifter pieces from tearing any further. (I apologize in advance for my repair work - it isn't pretty. The packages are streaked with dirt, and plastered with various kinds of tape.) Eric located the flight data recorder. He and I paused briefly to admire a crowbar-shaped hole in a lithium battery, and then Eric got down to the serious business of downloading the event logs and data logs for the flight. We were worried: The data recorder's battery had been at -40 F for almost a week, and we weren't sure if it had produced enough power to preserve the computer's memory. Fortunately, Eric was able to recover the logs. (Note: Eric lays claim to being the first person to observe a cosmic ray "event" in JACEE-13. Here's the story: After hearing about "Single-Event Upsets" (SEUs) last year, Eric modified his flight software to calculate "checksums". A checksum error in JACEE-13's logs convinced him that he'd just observed a cosmic-ray induced SEU!) Eric left for Christchurch this morning (Jan 12), carrying the flight data recorder and the baratron. He plans to spend a few days in New Zealand and in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, I've almost finished packing up the emulsion boxes and UW's tool crate. Again, I'm happy that our experiment was safely recovered: Steve Peterzen and the helicopter pilots did a superb job under very difficult conditions. The entire NSBF crew has been a delight to work with - friendly, professional, and efficient. -------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 11 Jan 1995 2:48:34 -0600 (CST) From: ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov Subject: JACEE-13 Recovered! I just talked to Steve Peterzen (about 2:00 a.m. CST Jan 11). He says that they were able to recover JACEE-13, and were just now bringing the emulsion chambers and other components into the sprung structure. I am going out to Willy right now to check on the condition of JACEE-13. Eric says he will go later and download the logs from the flight data recorder. (Yes, he's still here - his flight was post-poned 24 hours.) -------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 19:46:05 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: Still Empty Handed Steven Peterzen flew out to the landing site in a Twin Otter this morning, but was again unable to land. The pilot made every effort, including trying to drag his skis in order to knock down the sastrugi, to clear a landing spot for a later pass. He finally decided that the plane was just being beaten apart, and Steven heartily agreed. It sounds like the most likely recovery method at this time will be to use both helicopters and the Twin Otter. The helo will carry the chambers from the landing site to a fuel cache some 65 miles (or was it km?) away. The Otter will be able to land there, and carry the chambers back to McMurdo. This may not happen for a week or two. I think it is very unlikely that we will get the aluminium frame back. I have enjoyed this stay at McMurdo, but will be leaving in the morning tomorrow. The NSBF rigging crew and some members of HIREGS will be with me. Please join me in wishing Ellen and Steven a safe and speedy recovery. ---------------------------- Date: Mon, 9 Jan 1995 0:21:38 -0600 (CST) From: ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov Subject: Recovery Plans As Eric has reported, the attempt to recover JACEE-13 last night was unsucessful. The snow surface was so hard that the C-130 could not safely land, due to the very real possibility that the hard snow would damage the C-130's skis and cause an accident. Steve Peterzen is planning to fly out to the site tommorrow in a Twin Otter. If this second recovery attempt is not sucessful, it could be two or three weeks before we get another try (due to aircraft availability). The good news is that the gondola appears to have suffered only minor damage. The solar panels are still functioning. The recovery crew said that the gondola, rigging, and parachute were all lined up, just as if the experiment was ready to be launched again (!). They also said that the area around the site did not seem to have any crevasses, but there were some ditch-sized ruts throughout the area. HIREGS sucessfully launched today. They were very close to a launch yesterday (moved the gondola, helium tanks, etc.), but the wind picked up in the afternoon, and the launch was scrubbed. The weather was perfect today - sunny and almost windless. After five hours of intense preparation, the balloon was finally released about 4:30. There was one scary moment - the rigging wouldn't come off the pin. For one long minute, the balloon just stopped, tethered firmly to the crane. Then the guy driving the crane put it in reverse. HIREGS gave one large swing, then slipped off the pin. We all held our breath, hoping the solar panels at the bottom would clear the crane. They did, but it looked close. Although HIREGS launched almost 2 1/2 hours ago, it is still clearly visible from McMurdo. I went up to the second floor of the Crary Lab, and have been admiring the balloon through the telescope. The balloon has inflated to the point where it looks like a large, fat pear. The gondola itself is not visible to the unaided eye, but can be easily seen through the telescope. It will be interesting to see if HIREGS follows JACEE-13's leisurely path. -------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Jan 1995 21:08:34 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: Recovery Options- Answer Needed HIREGS was launched a couple hours ago, so we will have NSBF's undivided attention. Steven is weighing two options for recovery of JACEE-13. The first is similar to last year's recovery, going out with absolutely minimal personnel in a Twin Otter. This could begin as early as tomorrow. Another option is to assemble a larger group, possibly coordinated with the Italian Antarctic program. This will take more time. Personally, I believe this to be safer for the people involved, but of course Steven is the ultimate judge on safety. Recovery of the balloon (now mandatory) will probably require some type of field camp anyway, so payload recovery and balloon recovery could be combined. Our question is- can we wait the week or two for the larger effort to be mounted, or will contamination become too large a factor? We are comparing a recovery on the order of one or two days to another taking ten to fourteen days or more. A reminder on some relevant parameters- the payload is at 7700 feet. All indications are that its temperature is still around -40 C. The total time at float was 301 hours. ----------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Jan 1995 14:22:55 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: Empty Handed We returned from our '130 flight empty handed. The ski drag indicated that the surface was too hard for a landing. There were places along the track where the skis did not even scratch the surface of the snow. I did catch a glimps of the payload, which appeared to be in perfect condition, although tipped. This is not surprising because we knew from telemetry that most of the solar panels were still functioning, which means we had a gentle landing. The parachute is still attached, but is unlikely to drag our gondola. What tends to happen down here is that the sun will melt the parachute into the ice, so that it becomes frozen in place. Right now Steven is planning for recovery with a Twin Otter. If they cannot land in the immediate area, a suitable spot 10-12 miles away was identified. He will then drive over with a snowmobile, and recover the chambers alone. It will take several trips with the Otter. ----------------------- Date: Sat, 7 Jan 1995 18:50:46 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: Happy Birthday, Ellen! How about a warm JACEE Happy Birthday for Ellen Roberts! To celebrate we're trying to send up one balloon, and bring back another. The HIREGS payload is on the flight line, ready for launch if the winds die down a little. We have a plane allocated to bring back our JACEE payload later tonight. ------------------------------- Date: Fri, 6 Jan 1995 11:51:36 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: No Flight We were allocated a Herc flight for 11:59 last night, which became a 3:00 flight, which became a 3:30 flight, which was cancelled. As always, Steven is trying to find another plane. There are two flights into Pole today, and we might be lucky and grab one. A 130 is still our first choice. I don't know exactly when that Otter is due back in. HIREGS received their necessary chips, and NSBF received some necessary personnel (one of their crew had to go home due to illness). They should be ready to launch very soon. The weather, which as been lousy for launch, has been improving lately. Hopefully we can retrieve our payload before HIREGS goes up. If not, we'll be here a few extra days. --------------------------- Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 12:23:18 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> To: jacee-dist@marge.phys.washington.edu Subject: JACEE-13 Terminated JACEE-13 was terminated at appproxmiately 15:20 Jan-03 UTC (GMT), and touched ground somewhat less than one hour later. The total time at float was approximately 300 hrs. More accurate information will be available when computer logs are read out. The payload is now sitting on the plateau in Victoria Land at 73 45' S, 152 22' E, and 7712 ft. It appeared to have landed without suffering any unusual damage. Definition between the sky and snow was too poor to allow a ski drag or landing, but Steven Peterzen believes the area to be a good one for recovery. We will make another attempt when the weather improves and aircraft are available. We've only just returned, so there is no word yet on when that will happen. Due to maintenance problems, the plane left about two hours later than expected. We left Williams Field at 2:50 am local, and were within visual range of the balloon by 3:50 am. Dwight Fischer, the head NSF representative in Antarctica, came along. Unfortunately for all of us, the conditions for sightseeing were poor. --------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Jan 1995 22:13:49 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: Termination Tonight We will fly out tonight to terminate JACEE-13. It has been at 73.5 degrees latitude all day, which is about 300 miles north of us. We will also let it come inland 150 miles or more because those first miles are known to be heavily crevassed. After that, no one knows the surface conditions, so we'll have to fly out and see. If the area looks favorable to our LC-130, we will attempt a complete recovery tonight. If not, there may be a few days' delay while we wait for a Twin Otter to be freed up. There are none in McMurdo right now, so we would need to get one from the Pole. The balloon will be well out of helo range unless we cache fuel, which doesn't sound like a likely scenario. There is a lot of uncertainty in when we will arrive on site tonight, but the total flight time for JACEE-13 will be in excess of 270 hrs. ----------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Jan 1995 20:58:12 -0600 (CST) From: ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov Subject: Plans to Terminate JACEE-13 JACEE-13 is presently located at south latitude 73 deg 38', longitude 176 deg 59' - about 350 miles NNE of McMurdo. It is moving due west at about 20 kts. Given its position and speed, it should cross the coast into Victoria Land in about 8 hours. Steve Peterzen has informed us that JACEE-13 will be terminated in about 10 hours (Jan 4 1:00 a.m. local time). One complicating factor is aircraft availability - SIX of the seven LC-130s are down for maintenance. The other LC-130 is out in Central West Antarctica, should return later tonight. Likewise, all of the Twin Otters are unavailable. At the present time, the plan is to underfly JACEE-13 using the (flyable) LC-130. When the balloon reaches a suitable area, JACEE-13 will be terminated and its position recorded. The LC-130 will return to McMurdo. (No plans to pick up the payload on this flight.) According to Steve, it will probably be Saturday or Sunday before JACEE-13 can be recovered (due to aircraft availability). The recovery aircraft will probably be a Twin Otter, not a LC-130. In the meantime, the NSBF crew will work on getting HIREGS airborne. ----------------------------- Date: Sun, 1 Jan 1995 11:23:33 -0800 (PST) From: "John C. Gregory" <gregory@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: January 2nd 1995 Balloon position this morning (18:00 Zulu) was 73.13 S, 146 W; way out over the Ross Sea. The closest cutdown would be 4 or 500mi away. ----------------------------- Date: Sat, 31 Dec 1994 23:57:00 -0600 (CST) From: ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov Subject: JACEE-13 Flight Data (Jan 1) Best wishes for a happy New Year! JACEE-13 is presently over the Antarctic coast, about 350 miles north of Byrd Station. It should be back "over" McMurdo by Tuesday or Wednesday (local time). I put "over" in quotes because it's possible that the balloon will pass 100-200 miles north of us. Last night was New Year's Eve here - alot of partying and celebration. Today is a holiday for most of the "locals". The weather was nice. People were out hiking and skiing. I participated in an 8-mile race from Williams Field to McMurdo. The first 6 miles was over the snow road from Willy Field to Scott Base, and the last 2 miles was from Scott Base to McMurdo (mostly uphill). I finished in 1 hour 4 minutes. The other balloon flight (HIREGS) is still waiting to launch. If they are not able to launch soon, then they will probably have to wait until JACEE-13 is down (because both JACEE and HIREGS would be within line-of-sight of Willy Field). JACEE-13 Flight Data Data Set Local Time / Time Stamp #1 11:09 a.m. 31 Dec 1994 364 21:59:16 GMT #2 9:10 a.m. 01 Jan 1995 365 13:12:24 GMT #3 1:15 p.m. 01 Jan 1995 365 23:32:31 GMT Data Set Quantity #1 #2 #3 Pressure (mbar) 4.8 5.4 4.1 Altitude (apx, K ft) NA NA 126.6 Lat (deg, min) 75 deg 10' 74 deg 23' 74 deg 01' Long (deg, min) 270 deg 34' 250 deg 16' 236 deg 36' Temperatures (C) CPU 8.1 1.8 5.7 1-G -10.0 -12.4 -10.5 1-H - 8.0 -10.0 - 8.5 1-K - 0.7 -10.9 1.8 BAR 1.3 - 4.6 0.8 2-B - 8.5 -10.5 - 9.5 2-C - 9.5 -12.4 -10.0 2-F -13.9 -19.7 -14.4 2-K - 7.0 -15.3 - 8.0 2-L -13.4 -22.2 -13.4 ------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Dec 1994 14:03:53 -0800 (PST) From: "John C. Gregory" <gregory@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: Position 8am dec 31 local Position was 75S;86W and 125,700ft. We have dropped no ballast. A remarkable balloon. ------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Dec 1994 1:16:42 -0600 (CST) From: ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov Subject: JACEE-13 Flight Data - Dec. 30 Today was a beautiful day - clear, sunny, and warm (30 F). It looked like a good day for another balloon launch, but HIREGS still has to complete some final checks. They hope to launch on Sunday if the weather cooperates. Eric has made some very nice plots of pressure and temperature for JACEE-13. These are available on the World-Wide Web using the URL http://marge.phys.washington.edu/jacee/jacee-13/index.html Briefly, the plots show the following: (1) The pressure varies periodically between about 4.2 and 5.8 mbar. The average pressure is right at 5.0 mbar. The period is about 24 hours. (2) The gondola frame temperatures also "oscillate" over time. The range is generally about -11 deg C to about +3 de8g C for the legs, -14 C to about -7 C for the bottom, and -22 C to about -13 C for the top. Again, the period of this variation is about 24 hours. (3) The temperature of the bottoms of chambers XX and WW started out at about 12 C at launch, and are now decreasing asymptotically to about -10 C. (4) The temperatures of the YY chamber oscillate over time. Top temperatures are running -20 C to about -13 C, while the temperature at the bottom of the chamber varies from about -12 C to about - 8 C. The temperatures appear to cycle "in phase" with a maximum difference of 5 to 8 degrees. Flight Data: Time (local): 30 Dec 1994 12:30 Time Stamp: 363 22:28:18 GMT Pressure: 4.7 mbar Latitude: 75 deg 21' Longitude: 303 deg 59' Temperature Data (Centigrade): CPU 4.2 BAR 0.3 2-K -10.0 1-G -10.9 2-B - 9.5 2-L -16.8 1-H - 9.0 2-C - 9.5 1-K - 5.1 2-F -15.3 It was such a nice afternoon that I decided to walk back to McMurdo from Williams Field (13 km). I spent some time admiring Mt. Erebus, an active volcano. I could see a thin column of steam rising from the top. About half way back to McMurdo, I heard someone behind me on skis - Steve Peterzen. He skiied up to the shuttle stop, and caught a shuttle back into town. The sea ice is starting to break up in the vicinity of Scott Base (the New Zealand station). The ice is pushing up into ridges - looks like frozen waves from a distance. Huge seals bask alongside cracks in the ice. I thought I saw one roll over once, but might be mistaken (!). ------------------------ From ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.govThu Dec 29 09:27:05 1994 Date: Wed, 28 Dec 1994 22:09:37 -0600 (CST) Subject: JACEE-13 Flight Data - Dec. 29 Data Set Local Time / Time Stamp #1 10:15 a.m. 29 Dec 1994 362 21:03:06 GMT #2 1:15 p.m. 29 Dec 1994 363 00:10:16 GMT Data Set Quantity #1 #2 Pressure (mbar) 4.7 4.9 Altitude (apx, K ft) 124.0 123.0 Lat (deg, min) 76 deg 59' 76 deg 50' Long (deg,min) 334 deg 57' 331 deg 29' Temperatures (C) CPU 6.1 7.1 1-G - 9.5 -10.5 1-H - 8.0 - 8.0 1-K 1.8 - 4.1 BAR 0.3 - 0.2 2-B - 9.0 - 8.5 2-C - 9.5 -10.0 2-F -14.8 -14.8 2-K - 9.0 -10.5 2-L -14.8 -17.3 ------------------------ From ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.govWed Dec 28 09:18:32 1994 Date: Mon, 26 Dec 1994 19:29:45 -0600 (CST) Subject: JACEE-13 Flight Data - Dec. 27 At the present time, JACEE-13 is located at latitude 75 deg 30 min, longitude 26 deg 45 min. It continues to drift westward at about 18 kts. The weather here in McMurdo appears to be deteriorating. It's about 25 F, with low clouds and brisk winds. The forecast is for (possibly) several days of poor weather. Of course, the forecast here is not the most reliable. HIREGs may be ready to launch after this next weather system goes through. E. Roberts JACEE-13 Flight Data Note: INMARSAT data missing! Only some of the temperature readings are available (listed below). ============================================================ Data Set Local Time / Time Stamp #1 10:35 a.m. 27 Dec 1994 360 21:12:27 GMT #2 12:42 p.m. 27 Dec 1994 360 23:31:03 GMT Data Set Quantity #1 #2 Pressure (mbar) 5.6 5.8 Altitude (apx, K ft) 120.0 119.0 Lat (deg, min) 75 deg 30' 75 deg 30' Long (deg,min) 30 deg 40' 26 deg 45' Temperatures (C) CPU 2.2 1.3 1-G -10.0 -10.9 1-H - 8.5 - 9.0 1-K - 8.0 -11.9 BAR - 2.6 - 4.1 2-B - 8.5 - 8.5 2-C - 9.5 -10.5 2-F -16.3 -18.3 2-K -11.4 -12.4 2-L -19.2 -21.2 ------------------------- From ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.govSun Dec 25 22:52:02 1994 Date: Sun, 25 Dec 1994 22:24:50 -0600 (CST) Latest on JACEE-13 JACEE-13 is alive and well, still moving around the South Pole. It is traveling relatively slowly, with its path generally along the 75-degree south latitude line. Its altitude varies from about 118,500 ft to approximately 125,000 ft. After 4 full days at float, it has covered 120 degrees of longitude (1/3 circle). Some additional information below. JACEE-13 Flight Data Note: INMARSAT data missing! Only some of the temperature readings are available (listed below). ============================================================ Data Set Local Time / Time Stamp #1 11:23 a.m. 26 Dec 1994 359 22:13:59 GMT #2 1:06 p.m. 26 Dec 1994 359 23:51:49 GMT #3 2:24 p.m. 26 Dec 1994 360 00:48:05 GMT Data Set Quantity #1 #2 #3 Pressure (mbar) 5.8 5.8 5.7 Altitude (apx, K ft) 118.8 118.8 119.0 Lat (deg, min) 75 deg 16' 75 deg 19' 75 deg 20' Long (deg, min) 53 deg 54' 52 deg 06' 51 deg 09' Temperatures (C) CPU 2.7 2.2 1.3 1-G -10.5 -10.9 -10.9 1-H - 8.0 - 8.5 - 9.0 1-K -10.9 - 7.5 -12.4 BAR - 3.6 - 4.1 - 4.1 2-B - 8.5 - 8.5 - 9.0 2-C -10.0 -10.5 -10.5 2-F -17.8 -18.3 -18.8 2-K -12.9 -14.4 -12.4 2-L -20.7 -21.7 -21.2 ------------------------- From ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.govSun Dec 25 22:51:28 1994 Date: Sat, 24 Dec 1994 0:33:59 -0600 (CST) Latest JACEE-13 Flight Data Note: INMARSAT data missing! Only some of the temperature readings are available (listed below). ============================================================ Time (local): 24 Dec 1:45 p.m. Time Stamp: 358 00:40:42 GMT Pressure: 5.0 mbar Alt (apx): 123,000 ft Latitude: 76 deg 43 min Longitude: 108 deg 19 min Temperature Data (Centigrade): CPU 3.2 BAR -3.1 2-K -9.5 1-G -8.0 2-B -4.6 2-L -16.8 1-H -5.6 2-C -7.5 1-K -5.1 2-F -14.8 ============================================================ Time (local): 24 Dec 3:28 p.m. Time Stamp: 358 02:18:33 GMT Pressure: 4.8 mbar Alt (apx): 123,000 ft Latitude: 76 deg 36 min Longitude: 105 deg 23 min Temperature Data (Centigrade): CPU 3.7 BAR -1.7 2-K -9.5 1-G -8.0 2-B -5.6 2-L -16.3 1-H -6.5 2-C -7.5 1-K -3.1 2-F -13.9 ============================================================ Time (local): 24 Dec 5:50 p.m. Time Stamp: 358 04:37:22 GMT Pressure: 4.6 mbar Alt (apx): 124,000 ft Latitude: 76 deg 46 min Longitude: 100 deg 57 min Temperature Data (Centigrade): CPU 5.2 BAR -0.2 2-K -8.5 1-G -7.5 2-B -6.1 2-L -14.4 1-H -5.6 2-C -8.5 1-K -3.6 2-F -13.4 ------------------------- From ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.govSun Dec 25 22:51:19 1994 Date: Fri, 23 Dec 1994 23:51:26 -0600 (CST) Subject: JACEE-13 Temperature Sensors (Revised) Note: Dr. Parnell pointed out that temperature sensor 2-L is on the top of the gondola framework, not the bottom. The corrected list is as follows: ========================================================== This memo shows the correspondence between the two systems that have been used to label the JACEE-13 temperature sensors. You may need this information to help you decode the temperature information for the JACEE-13 flight. #1 #2 Location (General Description) 1-A 15 Bottom of AAA, facing outside 1-B 12 Bottom of AAA, facing ZZ 1-C 14 Bottom center of AAA 1-D 16 Bottom of AAA, facing BBB 1-E 13 Bottom of AAA, facing XX 1-F 2 Bottom of YY, facing outside 1-G 1 Bottom of YY, facing outside 1-H 3 Bottom center of YY 1-I 5 Bottom of YY, facing XX 1-J 4 Bottom of YY, facing ZZ 1-K 20 Outside edge of gondola frame, bottom 1-L 21 Outside edge of gondola frame, top 2-A 11 Bottom center of ZZ 2-B 8 Bottom center of XX 2-C 9 Bottom center of PM3 2-D 19 Bottom center of BBB 2-E 17 Top of AAA 2-F 6 Top of YY 2-G 7 Top of YY 2-H 22 Outside edge of gondola frame, middle 2-I 10 Top of PM3 2-J 18 Top of AAA 2-K 23 Bottom of gondola frame, toward middle 2-L 24 Top of gondola frame, toward middle There are also temperature sensors for the computer ("CPU") and baratron ("BAR"). -------------------------------- From ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.govFri Dec 23 09:42:04 1994 Date: Thu, 22 Dec 1994 22:06:49 -0600 (CST) JACEE-13 Flight Data Time (local): 23 Dec 3:13 p.m. Time Stamp: 357 01:26:06 GMT Pressure: 4.3 mbar Alt (apx): 125,000 ft Latitude: 79 deg 3 min Longitude: 137 deg 24 min Temperature Data (Centigrade): CPU 7.6 BAR 2.2 2-K -5.6 1-G -3.1 2-B -0.2 2-L -11.4 1-H -1.2 2-C -3.1 1-K -1.2 2-F -9.5 NOTE: All other temperature data unavailable (INMARSAT data MISSING). E. Roberts -------------------------------- Date: Wed, 21 Dec 1994 21:40:35 -0600 (CST) From: ROBERTS@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov Subject: JACEE-13 Launch Note: Bjorn Nilsen is providing "official" news. The following should be considered my personal observations only. All times are McMurdo local - add 5 hours to get Central Standard Time. The launch of JACEE-13 occurred at about 12:15 local (5:15 p.m. CST). I arrived at Williams Field about 7:45 this morning. The winds were very light and the sky overcast. Inside the sprung structure, the NSBF riggers had picked up the JACEE-13 gondola and were performing some final adjustments and checks. The final check-out was completed about 9:00, and the crane holding JACEE-13 slowly moved out to the launch area. Mean- while, some of the other NSBF personnel readied the balloon and parachute. The NSBF crew spent about an hour and a half unrolling the balloon and doing some final tests. They launched a couple of small "pi-balls" (pilot balloons) to investigate the low- level winds. The pi-balls ascended almost straight up, with very little drifting. By this time, a small crowd of scientists and military personnel had gathered around to watch the launch. The TV crew filming "Live from Antarctica" shot some video. Although the conditions seemed conducive for a launch, they were poor for photography - no contrast between the snow and the white sky. I took a bunch of pictures, but will be surprised if they turn out (sorry, guys). Inflation started about 11:20 and was completed about 12:05. The whole process seemed to go rapidly and efficiently. With no wind, the balloon rose straight up and without any swaying or twisting. 12:15 - Launch! The balloon was released and ascended rapidly, moving toward the crane holding the JACEE-13 gondola. I watched intently. The JACEE-13 package swayed gently a couple of times. The balloon lifted it off the pin and the balloon and gondola rose straight up. We watched until it went into the clouds a few minutes later. At last report (about 1:15) the balloon had just passed 49,000 ft. The launch was exciting. Many thanks to the NSBF crew - they did their job carefully and professionally. E. Roberts -------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 20:00:58 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: Possible launch tomorrow Happily I may be proven wrong in my "Not before Christmas" prediciton. Lately the cloud cover has been think enough to prevent HIREGS from working their pointing test or comatability test, so they still have a couple days work once the weather clears up. On the other hand, while not functioning perfectly, the SIP is now working well enough to attempt a launch tomorrow. Weather permitting, NSBF personnel will report bright and early tomorrow morning to begin taking JACEE-13 outside. -------------------------------- From NILSEN@ssl.msfc.nasa.govTue Dec 20 18:34:02 1994 Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 20:30:12 -0600 (CST) Things are improving some what. The SIP is less sick. The navigation computer is now working but is being reset every few minute. If the weather improves in the next few days and if we can get an OK to launch with the SIP not 100%, we could finally be off the ground. Remember that things are seldom as there appear here in Antarctica, especially the weather. Bjorn ------------------------------- **NOTE: as of 20 Dec 08:00 PST, the SIP had worked well enough in tests to plan a rollout this morning, weather permitting, according to phone info from NSBF Palestine. - RJW Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 21:34:44 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Here's my current understanding of the situation, which you should treat as something between hearsay and heresy: -The navigation computer is responsible for handing coordinates from the GPS system to the ARGOS satellites for downlink. -The navigation computer occasionally locks up. -This is "normal." -There is a card which detects this condition, and resets the computer. -This card is not functioning. -A difference was found in pulse signals between the HIREGS card and ours. -So far this has not led to an earth shattering, ice melting breakthrough. -Options include flying with a Pathfinder system as backup for the SIP. -------------------------------- Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 01:03:10 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <zager@u.washington.edu> Subject: Still grounded The SIP computer problem plaguing us has not been cured. It is not well understood yet, but is a hardware problem. Evidently this bug takes on the order of eight hours to manifest itself, which doesn't make it quick to track down. At our 1:15 meeting, the computers were running fine, and we planned to launch tomorrow morning if everything were still intact. At about 4:00 the failure repeated. The Pathfinder's batteries died after about eleven days in flight. When marge comes up again, I'll upload the final path. I would really have liked to see about twelve more hours of data. The path ends with a hook toward the pole, and I can't tell if that's a normal variation, or part of a spiral inward. I fear the latter. HIREGS is almost ready to fly. There will probably be enough sun tomorrow for them to do some of their last pointing calibrations. After that, I don't think they have a lot to do. NSBF is currently debugging our SIP by comparing components with those in the HIREGS SIP. Once HIREGS is out the door, our blueprint disappears. -------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Dec 1994 23:38:48 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: Scrubbed We got scrubbed a few hours after getting the gondola outside. A computer in the SIP which passes GPS data onto the ARGOS satellite system failed. It may be a simple fix. We're to call in tomorrow morning at 8:30 for more info. -------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Dec 1994 20:04:36 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: DEFCON 3 We are at DEFCON 3, almost ready to launch. The gondola is outside being tested, and barring any problems, will go up in a matter of hours. -------------------------------- Date: Tue, 13 Dec 1994 20:41:42 -0600 (CST) From: "Bjorn S. Nilsen" <NILSEN@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov> Subject: waiting for the weather. We are all set to go. The only thing holding us up now is the weather. The forecast predicts that this snow and wind will continue for the next 24 to 72 hours. Below is an edited list of the latitude, longitude and altitude at the specified time of the path-finder balloon launch the day before we arrived. The columns of numbers and column headings are separated by commas. Have fun with them. Bjorn [note: long list of positions deleted, see map prepared by E.Zager] -------------------------------- Date: Mon, 12 Dec 1994 15:06:07 -0600 (CST) From: "Bjorn S. Nilsen" <NILSEN@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov> Subject: Late breaking news? We are ready to launch and have been for the past two days. During its shipment down, the SIP has suffered a some of damage. The NSBF crew has been working hard to get it back up and running. The weather has been generally good and we hope it will hold for our launch. The other gondola, HIREGS, is nearly ready to launch as well. It is still unclear who will launch first. Bjorn -------------------------------- Date: Sat, 10 Dec 1994 15:11:08 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: JACEE-13 Status EZ for JG- Our assembly of JACEE-13 is 95% complete. The six emulsion chambers are mounted with shifter plates and dosimeter. We touched up the paint, and are 3/5 of the way done with insulation. NSBF mounted the SIP yesterday afternoon, but we have not tested our electrical connection yet. John Barber has been unable to test INMARSAT communications because of a ground station under repair, and is working to reroute the communication path. (A little later on Sunday morning): INMARSAT communication has now been accomplished and our data system communicates properly with the SIP. Weather matters: Local surface conditions for the past two days have been very pleasant and close to launchable. NSBF will have the most recent information on the stability of the polar high, but the indications are that it looks good for predictable circumnavigation. There is no rush here to launch, but barring any change in the situation we shall be ready to launch on Tuesday and thereafter. John, Eric, and Bjorn -------------------------------- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 1994 16:19:36 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> EZ writing for himself- We'll start covering the ethafoam with AG teflon this afternoon. John Barber expects to put the SIP on this afternoon, but is waiting to be sure that the INMARSAT link is working correctly first. Unfortunately the satellite coverage will disappear for him in a few hours. Our electronics is installed and operating fine, though we haven't connected to the SIP. Rigging has the safety cables attached, and running through the bolts attached to the upper emulsion frame. According to Bjorn, one of NSBF's concerns was that the leg piece might buckle inward between the lift block and the top frame. Talk is still about a Tuesday launch with a possibility on Monday, local time. I do not feel that NSBF is rushing us, or that we're taking shortcuts. We're just spending less time bumbling around because we have a better plan of how to go. -------------------------------- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 1994 3:35:52 -0600 (CST) From: "Bjorn S. Nilsen" <NILSEN@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov> Subject: News from the land of the midnight sun (south) Sorry for the late note. We have been very busy getting things ready. The emulsion boxes are in place along with the shiftless SHIFTER plates. All of the temperature sensors are mounted and connected to the flight computer. Most of the ethafoam is in place and we are should be ready for SIP integration saturday or sunday. If everything goes well we could launch as early as this monday. A pathfinder was launched a few day ago and it still looks very good. We went through our (hopefully) last orientation this morning and learned all about waste management and the many of trash cans placed all around McMurdo. Yesterday we learned that we were allowed the luxury of one 2 minute shower each day. The weather here has been great a bit overcast but that helps keep the ice runway open longer and the sun from making you blind. Till next time Bjorn -------------------------------- Date: Thu, 8 Dec 1994 02:15:22 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Zager <eric@marge.phys.washington.edu> Subject: Good First Day Despite a few obligitory morning meetings with NSF/ASA personnel, we made good progress on our first day. All of the emulsion chambers are in place on the gondola, but we haven't put the top frame back in yet. Older, worn nylock nuts were replaced with new ones. We threaded some holes for the battery box because the emulsion chambers prevented some necessary access, and made other holes to allow for temperature sensor leads. We checked out the computers, and all have survived the trip to the ice. Essentially, most of our mechanical integration is now done, and the biggest job ahead of us is the insulation. It was a much more productive day than I could have hoped. So far the only equipment we know we're missing is our spray paint. All emulsion chambers were properly shipped upside down. There had been two problems with our SIP, but John Barber fixed both today. NSBF is still deciding how to install their safety cables, but if we can finish our mechanical integration first, it will be a non-issue. Steven has tentatively scheduled us for a launch next Tuesday! By tomorrow we'll have a much better idea of how realistic that is. NSBF personnel are being very helpful, and the HIREGS guys friendly as well. The dome is crowded, but we have enough room to work. Installing the chambers takes the most floorspace anyway, and that's behind us. HIREGS is coming along pretty well also. They plan to launch as soon as our payload is out of line of sight, and may or may not make that schedule. Apparently a second circuit is a option for both their payload and ours. - Eric -------------------------------- Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 14:04:24 -0600 (CST) From: "Bjorn S. Nilsen" <NILSEN@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov> 8Subject: Some Flight info. We have had a chance to talk to Steve Peterson and had the S-147 NSF/ASA briefing. They have launched 2 path-finders. The first had a balloon failure but the second has started out on a very good course. They would like to launch us as early as monday. High-Regs is expected to be ready by the 15. We have yet to get out to Willy field. I will have more for you and everyone after we get back. Bjorn -------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Dec 1994 22:32:23 -0600 (CST) From: "Bjorn S. Nilsen" <NILSEN@ssl.msfc.nasa.gov> After a day's delay in Christchurch, a 4:30 am checkin time, and a 7 and one half hour flight we all have arived in McMurdo Alive and mostly well. Information about the gondola and emulsion chambers will have to wait until tomorrow. Bjorn, Eric, and John