Posted on Aug 14, 2022
High-altitude balloons over Oregon bring search for life on Mars one step closer
420
9
2
6
6
0
It’s an icy fall morning at the Madras Airport. In the distance, Mount Jefferson is pink with dawn light.
A crew led by Vic Rogers from Near Space Corporation has been working all night preparing for inflation.
“We’re gonna clear the hose,” he shouts to his team over the rumble of the truck stacked with helium tanks. “I’m just gonna run a little gas just to get the dirt, bugs or whatever out of the line.”
With a low hiss, the line is cleared.
Off to one side, Near Space President Kevin Tucker braces himself with a large air hose on the tarmac.
“We’re about ready to start inflation. We’ll start running helium — it runs up the inflation tub and will start inflating the main bubble of the balloon,” he says.
The low hiss comes again, then a loud whine as the airflow increases. The translucent white top of the balloon billows and eventually pulls off the ground, anchored to a winch on a trailer.
This isn’t a kid’s balloon. It’s not even a hot air balloon. The balloon Tucker is helping to inflate is about 500 feet, close to 50 stories high. It will only be partially filled, because the gas inside will expand as it rises.
A crew led by Vic Rogers from Near Space Corporation has been working all night preparing for inflation.
“We’re gonna clear the hose,” he shouts to his team over the rumble of the truck stacked with helium tanks. “I’m just gonna run a little gas just to get the dirt, bugs or whatever out of the line.”
With a low hiss, the line is cleared.
Off to one side, Near Space President Kevin Tucker braces himself with a large air hose on the tarmac.
“We’re about ready to start inflation. We’ll start running helium — it runs up the inflation tub and will start inflating the main bubble of the balloon,” he says.
The low hiss comes again, then a loud whine as the airflow increases. The translucent white top of the balloon billows and eventually pulls off the ground, anchored to a winch on a trailer.
This isn’t a kid’s balloon. It’s not even a hot air balloon. The balloon Tucker is helping to inflate is about 500 feet, close to 50 stories high. It will only be partially filled, because the gas inside will expand as it rises.
High-altitude balloons over Oregon bring search for life on Mars one step closer
Posted from opb.org
Space
Tillamook
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 2
2
2
0
1
1
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The results will have broad implications for ESA’s ExoMars mission, which was initially scheduled to launch in September 2022 in partnership with Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. But that launch date has been suspended because of EU sanctions against Russia issued after the invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s withdrawal from international space operations.
On the ground, the recovery team carefully untangles and rolls up the parachute. They pack it into a sack and strap it to the top of the module. And they get a short break waiting for the helicopter to come in and airlift the precious cargo back to civilization.
The high-altitude test will soon be approaching the 24-hour mark, and there’s still more clean-up work ahead. But at the end of a long day, Kevin Tucker and his team know the parachute model that will be key to the next Mars mission, had to land in Oregon first.
“You’re gonna fly something that weighs a ton or so through the airspace and then bring it all back to Earth and go get it… that’s all done, everyone’s back, that becomes a really good night’s sleep after that.”
..."The results will have broad implications for ESA’s ExoMars mission, which was initially scheduled to launch in September 2022 in partnership with Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. But that launch date has been suspended because of EU sanctions against Russia issued after the invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s withdrawal from international space operations.
On the ground, the recovery team carefully untangles and rolls up the parachute. They pack it into a sack and strap it to the top of the module. And they get a short break waiting for the helicopter to come in and airlift the precious cargo back to civilization.
The high-altitude test will soon be approaching the 24-hour mark, and there’s still more clean-up work ahead. But at the end of a long day, Kevin Tucker and his team know the parachute model that will be key to the next Mars mission, had to land in Oregon first.
“You’re gonna fly something that weighs a ton or so through the airspace and then bring it all back to Earth and go get it… that’s all done, everyone’s back, that becomes a really good night’s sleep after that.”
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google