Project - sending a Jeb figurine into stratosphere

[linkxsc]

Good that noone got hurt.

With my thoughts, I was gonna see about getting the balloon from a link posted earlier in this thread. And was thinking that for the body, i could use a foam rc aircraft body, they have several with clear plastic cockpit domes. I could stick Jeb in there with a little camera looking over its shoulder.) Also have to buy the reflective stuff so aircraft radars pick it up better.

Still a week and a half from getting home to work on the datalogger though.

[Bunsen]

We are working on a repeat flight to perform the same measurements on a bunch of other frequencies, with a software-defined receiver, lighter weight, higher apogee, custom APRS tracker (the old one was hilariously overpowered and had an inconvenient requirement for 12V power, new one will be much smaller), and generally more engineering and less last-minute duct tape. Naturally, we'll be making sure the new Kerbonaught is more securely affixed. Anybody know how heavy the Shapeways version is?

[NERVAfan]

Anybody know how heavy the Shapeways version is?

The website doesn't list weight, just height, width and depth. But it says it's made of sandstone which is (from a Google search) about 2.5 g/cm^3. Jebediah Kerman on IVA is "5.888 w x 8.896 d x 5.754 h", so if he were a solid rectangular object, that would be about 750 grams. So that's an upper bound anyway... so it's probably about a pound...

[BagelRabbit]

The website doesn't list weight, just height, width and depth. But it says it's made of sandstone which is (from a Google search) about 2.5 g/cm^3. Jebediah Kerman on IVA is "5.888 w x 8.896 d x 5.754 h", so if he were a solid rectangular object, that would be about 750 grams. So that's an upper bound anyway... so it's probably about a pound...

Jeb is really light - only 86 grams, according to my scale. Of course, we would probably need to fill part of his helmet as well as the loosely-strutted region below him with epoxy, for not breaking on landing. If we're good about it, I would say that would add ~30 grams, for a total of about 115 grams of mass there.

Jeb's base is nice and flat, and we can easily epoxy him to some sort of paddle-shaped object.

I am currently a little less than halfway to building a rocket capable of hitching a ride on a balloon, and then flying to ~50k feet above the balloon's peak. I understand that the general consensus is to not put a rocket on the first balloon, for obvious reasons. However, I am eavesdropping a bit on the current plans, and will definitely build my craft based in large part on how you guys work things out.

See you soon. I'm going to bed.

[NERVAfan]

Jeb is really light - only 86 grams, according to my scale.

Wow. That;s much lighter than I would have expected - is he hollow?

[Bunsen]

Jeb is really light - only 86 grams, according to my scale. Of course, we would probably need to fill part of his helmet as well as the loosely-strutted region below him with epoxy, for not breaking on landing. If we're good about it, I would say that would add ~30 grams, for a total of about 115 grams of mass there.

Thank you! That's a totally acceptable hit to the mass budget. We've got carbon fiber rods^W^W^W massless struts and epoxy and whatnot for secure mounting. Now to slip it into the, um, budget budget.

[waterlubber]

I won't be able to donate, but I am relatively experienced with Arduino code, up to the point of dealing with data storage and the such...

[linkxsc]

Well I was supposed to be flying home today, where probably on wed id be getting a few extra sensors and breakpout boards, I was gonna go to work on the sensor/gps part... but my boss has seen fit to keep is out here in seattle for this week because. "More work might come up"

[NERVAfan]

Well I was supposed to be flying home today, where probably on wed id be getting a few extra sensors and breakpout boards, I was gonna go to work on the sensor/gps part... but my boss has seen fit to keep is out here in seattle for this week because. "More work might come up"

Ah, sorry

Well, let's just keep this thread alive till then...

If you can start doing the sensor/GPS next week, what would the timeline for the Kickstarter be?

[linkxsc]

Can probably build the electronic bits in about a week with testing, but ill probably have to head out on another work trip... Ill see, gotta pay the bills and all that. Though depending on how much extra i can milk out of my boss (for keeping me out here an extra week) Ill look into either buying 1 balloon (not quite so high altitude) to do a more proper test, then ill have material to do a kickstarter.

Buy maybe a dozen or so balloons after that with the kickstarter. Drag it with me on a couple work trips, convince my boss to go drive 30mi to go get the thing.

[Las-pen]

Well. They sent couple Lego figures to Jupiter so why not

[victory143]

I clicked the wrong vote button, sorry.

[Th3F3aR]

I'd pop in with 10€ cause i'd luv to see Jeb on a mission!

I can programm and i have lots of people that are able to do other stuff, anyways keep us in touch with whats happening!

[NERVAfan]

Is this still alive?

[lajoswinkler]

It is alive as much as the people willing and able to do anything, are doing anything.