Launch2¶

Media¶

Photos¶

• https://gallery.ru.is/projects/skywardsword/Second-Flight

Video¶

• ??

Timeline¶

Saturday, March 17, The launch

• 7:30 Team meets, eats breakfast. Discovered that the smartphone did not charge properly.
• 8:15 Load truck, moved to hanger
• 9:30 Ragnar Rafn Evaldsson begins running down the checklist.
• 9:50 SPOT tested outside
• 10:00 Sverrir Haraldsson finishes filling the balloon
• 10:20 SPOT gave first location at RU
• 10:55 Vikar Hlynur Þórisson attaches all the GoPro Cameras
• 11:10 Electronics are turned on and sealed into box with duct tape. Niklas Joel Meier turns on the logger and failsafe.
• 11:01 Kristján Gerhard Karlsson Grimm first call to airport due to traffic.
• 11:09 Second call to airport, waiting due to traffic.
• 11:16 Kristján gets launch clearance
• 11:25 Balloon launch from Reykjavik University
• 12:57 Balloon popped at 34000 altitude. (APRS did not capture exact)
• 13:00 Crash at Coordinates N64.37315, W19.24017 (SPOT GPS)
• 13:46 Þórður Sigurbjartsson, Arní, Raggi, from CCP, meet with NORSK Rescue Helicopter at RVK airport (we watched from U215)
• 14:19 Heli takes off
• 17:10 Heli returns, unsuccessful
• 17:30 Debrief with pizza. Plans for recovery tomorrow.
• 19:00 Discover possible issue, GPS coordinates in wrong format for helicopter.

Sunday, March 18, The Recovery

Skyward sword to the rescue, led by Páll Pálsson. Tracking by Jon Þór Jonsson via the Tetra radio GPS being carried by Samúel Úlfr Þór Guðjónsson. Attempted checkin with Joe Foley at RU every hour starting at 12:00.

• 5:00 Planned to head out, meet at N1 Ártúnshöfði.
• 6:00 Left town
• 8:30 One superjeep gets broken driveshaft, has to be repaired. The other superjeep continues to designated point of arrival.
• 10:30 Broken jeep is repaired and continues to Sultartangi.
• 11:30 Both superjeeps meet at river crossing and continues together to designated destination.
• 14:00 Spaceship located without problems.
• 14:30 Spaceship retrieved and started heading down. Suprisingly easy to find once there.
• 16:45 Team is off the mountain and started moving towards the city. Just before the storm.
• 9:45 Last transmission of the SPOT
• ?? Many attempts to follow road require detours and very slow progress.
• 12:30 Snow becomes bad?
• 13:50 Arrival at location
• 14:00 Bogi goes for a swim
• 19:30 Return to Reykjavik

Total cost: 180.000 kr.

Acknowledgments¶

Students of VT HUN1013, Hönnun, 2012-1¶

• Bogi Kárason, launch coordinator, Preflight checklist creation
• Halldór Þorkelsson, industrial liason, procurement and financials, Solidworks master
• Kristján Gerhard Karlsson Grimm, general, Trackuino lead, Master of flight paperwork
• Lárus Guðmundsson, camera mount design and general handyman
• Niklas Joel Meier, logging and emergency descent device
• Páll Pálsson, "Ground recovery under any conditions" Team Lead
• Ragnar Rafn Eðvaldsson, spaceship simulation test, Preflight checklist execution
• Sverrir Haraldsson, balloon man, failure analysis
• Vikar Hlynur Þórisson, structural design, impact tester, camera testing, all things video
• Þórður Sigurbjartsson, logistics, Helicopter recovery shock troop
• Örvar Friðriksson, temperature testing, shock and environment protection for electronics

RU Staff and other students¶

• Ari Kristinn Jónsson, Rector
• Guðrún Arnbjörg Sævarsdóttir, Head of the Department
• Joe Foley, Instructor for Hönnun, chief worrier
• Stefan Freyr Stefanson, simulation
• Hrannar Traustson, electronics, particularly the Trackuino
• Guðjón Hugberg Björnsson, initial investigation into tracking hardware
• Leifur þór Leifsson, loan of LiPo batteries and charger from his avionics
• Þorgeir Pállsson, help with aircraft organizations and permission for the hanger

Siminn¶

• Guðmundur Ingi Karlsson, live video stream via donated smartphones, dedicated 3G antenna for flight

CCP Games¶

• Eyjólfur Guðmundsson, Head Producer
• Ragnar Ágúst Eðvaldsson, purchasing, feedback, spaceship model procurement
• Arnar Valdimarsson, video cameraman

Icelandic Radio Amateurs¶

• Jón Þ. Jónsson, radio licenses and APRS knowledge, liason to IRA, wizard of radios
• Samúel Úlfr Þór Guðjónsson, APRS expert, Trackuino debugging, antenna construction, ground recovery team
• Jón Svavarsson, photographer, constantly monitoring the airwaves

Other¶

• ?? at KEF weather service, providing balloon filling equipment and training on balloon launches
• Icelandic PTA for fast tracking our license TF3CCP
• ICE-SAR for donating a helicopter rescue attempt
• Markéta Foley and Gissur Örlygsson at the Icelandic Innovation center for looking into a testing chamber
• ?? at Agricultural school loaned use of the -80C freezer during testing
• Trackuino developers for making an opensource balloon tracker that was easy to build and test
• ?? model builder