[OZAPRS] APRS balloon launch soon

[Richard Murnane]

Hi again,

I've just had an email from John VK2YGV about the upcoming balloon  
launch. Details of the project can be found at http://www.trci.org.au/Loki.html

He has also just sent the first of a series of news items for Sunday's  
WIA news broadcast, and with his permission I reproduce it here:

LOKI - great mischief-maker from Norse mythology.

Loki is the name of the edge of space balloon experiment that Tamworth  
Radio Club members & Tamworth Oxley Scout members will be launching in  
the coming weeks.

Loki-1 is to be an unmanned balloon filled with hydrogen that will  
carry a 1 kilogram payload of:
APRS equipment for tracking & flight data,
A camera set to take photo’s at 1 minute intervals,
Sensors to record temp & radiation
Paper aircraft that will be dropped from a height of approx. 30  
kilometres with information on them from the members of the Tamworth  
Oxley Scout Group.
A passenger – 1 cockroach has been suggested.

This is the first time the Tamworth Radio Club has taken on a project  
like this. The local scout group when asked if they wished to be  
involved responded with so much enthusiasm it was hard to keep  
everyone calm. (the larger adult type kids seemed to be the most  
excited). The comment of "can we really do this!!" was heard more than  
once.

The Tamworth radio club has installed 7 ground stations around the  
North West and New England regions of NSW that will be used to receive  
APRS data from LOKI-1 then transferring this to the internet for live  
tracking via the APRS network. It is expected that LOKI-1 will reach  
an altitude of 30 kilometres or 100,000 feet in the old scale giving  
the craft a radio horizon of 700 kilometres.

As airspace is heavily regulated regarding its use negotiations are  
well in hand with Australia's airspace regulator the Civil Aviation  
Safety Authority, or CASA and air traffic controllers regarding a host  
of regulations that need to be complied with regarding the flight of  
the balloon through controlled airspace.
Non compliance with all the necessary regulations have large and hefty  
fines along with a optional holiday in gaol. Controlled airspace  
starts at various altitudes above ground depending on where you are,  
up to 60,000 feet. Most jet passenger aircraft cruise at an altitude  
between 25,000 and 40,000 feet. How would anyone get to see the photos  
if the little baby craft gets swallowed and shredded by a big nasty  
jet engine.

Up to date information can be found on Tamworth Radio Club’s web site www.trci.org.au 
, then follow the links to projects.

This has submitted by VK2BOZ publicity officer and VK2YGV project  
director.

73 Richard VK2SKY
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.aprs.net.au/pipermail/ozaprs/attachments/20110209/98561995/attachment-0001.htm>