Project Blue Horizon
Project Blue Horizon (PBH) is a capstone project that Cornell University graduate students take part in to fulfill requirements for earning their Masters in Engineering degree. PBH is currently structured as a five-year incremental project that will challenge each year’s design team to plan, prepare, and conduct multiple flights of increasing complexity. A scalable, ground segment and air vehicle was developed in Increment 1. Multiple communication links were demonstrated in Increment 2 along with an altitude record breaking flight. The major objectives for Increment 3 include;
1. Demonstrate long duration flight (“station keeping”), with altitude control, above 70,000 thousand feet
2. Demonstrate long distance flight in excess of 250 miles
3. Demonstrate reliable and redundant communication links (one UHF/VHF and one HF)
4. Develop and implement robust flight operations procedures, and demonstrate on multi-day, multi-shift, station-keeping flight
Since 2007, engineers participating in PBH have successfully launched seven flights of high altitude balloons, reaching altitudes from 60,000 to more than 125,000 feet. Onboard GPS and amateur radio technology will allow monitoring of the balloon's launch, ascent into "near space," descent and recovery. High resolution images from 20 miles above the earth's surface also have been taken, where a black sky, the curvature of the earth, and the "blue horizon" of the earth's atmosphere can clearly be seen (as shown below).
Figure 1: The view from 100,000 feet. Photo taken May, 2008 by PBH-6
PBH-10
Launch Date: Sunday May 3, 2009
Launch Location: Owego, NY
Launch Time (EDT): 21:00 (01:00 UTC 4/30)
Flight Objective: Trans-Atlantic Flight
Flight COMMs: HF CW
Frequency: 7.1025 MHz +/-300 Hz
Notes: If you’d like to be added to the mission map (on homepage) please send your location and call-sign to ***** Please check back to this site for updates and details regarding PBH-10.
Near Space Systems Solutions (NS3) consists of 10 engineers, all with various backgrounds and academic disciplines including systems, computer, mechanical and electrical engineering. Each member has their ham Technician license and several other members went on to get General and Amateur Extra certifications.
Figure 1: Team NS3
I have retired from publishing ARHAB Launch Announcements and Records for the past 5-years and ~800 updates.
My thanks to our ARHAB community for many years of encouragement, participation and support.
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Lockheed Martin Engineers Break World Record For Amateur Balloon Altitude
Owego, NY, June 3rd, 2008 -- A team of early career engineers at Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], has broken the world amateur high altitude balloon record in a "near space" flight that exceeded 125,000 feet.The engineers at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY broke the record on Tuesday, May 20, while executing Project Blue Horizon, which is an educational component of Lockheed Martin's Engineering Leadership Development Program (ELDP) and is part of the employees' graduate studies in engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.
The flight broke the previous amateur high altitude record by nearly 5,000 feet. A national database of Amateur Radio High Altitude Balloon (ARHAB) flight records catalogues more than 40 teams currently competing in categories that include Highest Altitude, Highest Ascent Rate, Longest Distance, and Longest Flight Time. Independently verified Global Positioning System (GPS) flight data is required for any team to earn a record in the ARHAB database.
Since 2007, engineers participating in Project Blue Horizon have successfully launched seven flights of high altitude balloons, reaching altitudes from 60,000 to more than 100,000 feet. Onboard GPS and amateur radio technology allow monitoring of the balloon's launch, ascent into "near space," descent and recovery. High resolution images from 20 miles above the earth's surface also have been taken, where a black sky, the curvature of the earth, and the "blue horizon" of the earth's atmosphere can clearly be seen.
"This accomplishment is a testimony to our young engineers' innovation, commitment, and potential as future leaders in aerospace technology," said Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego President Frank C. Meyer.
Project Blue Horizon will continue as a voluntary component of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego's ELDP. Future teams will launch missions that include long duration flights, trans-Atlantic flights, multi-balloon missions, and the release of unmanned vehicles from near space altitudes. Elements of Project Blue Horizon also will be integrated into the New Visions Engineering Academy, a program that Lockheed Martin has partnered with Broome-Tioga BOCES to deliver beginning in the fall of 2008.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.
Media Contact: Shelby Cohen, (607) 751-3200; e-mail: *******
For additional information, visit our Web site: http://www.lockheedmartin.com
Balloon Makes Near-space Flight
A near-space image showing the curvature of the earth, taken on one of Project Blue Horizon's launches. |
A group of graduate students has broken the world amateur high-altitude balloon record in a recent near-space flight that exceeded 125,000 feet. The balloon launch was the capstone effort of Project Blue Horizon (PBH), an educational component of a three-year program known as Lockheed Martin's Engineering Leadership Development Program. The group’s 19 students are employed at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY, while completing their systems engineering master's degrees at Cornell.
PBH is a space-flight program that incorporates amateur radio (also known as ham radio) technologies. Onboard global positioning systems and amateur radio technology allow for monitoring of launch, ascent, descent and recovery, with high-resolution images 20 miles above the earth's surface recorded. The balloon is made of latex — not unlike those at birthday parties — and stretches up to 40 feet in diameter, according to Michael Baldwin, PBH chief engineer.
In two previous flights, the PBH team had discovered that optimizing the amount of helium in the balloon was a key component to a successful mission, Baldwin said. In the latest flight, the students also placed a blanket over the balloon's payload to reduce radiation exposure.
The students' flight beat the previous amateur altitude record by nearly 5,000 feet, according to the company. A national database of Amateur Radio High-Altitude Balloon flight records reports more than 40 teams currently competing in such categories as highest altitude, highest ascent rate, longest distance and longest flight time.
"We were all really enthused and wanted to do this, but there was no way one of us could have done this by ourselves," Baldwin said. "We really had to work together as a team efficiently."
Many agencies and companies are examining high-altitude balloon flight for exploration and surveying, as well as for detecting radio frequencies. Future PBH teams will launch missions that include long-duration flights, trans-Atlantic flights, multi-balloon missions and the release of unmanned vehicles from near-space altitudes, according to the company.
PBH is a space-flight program that incorporates amateur radio (also known as ham radio) technologies. Onboard global positioning systems and amateur radio technology allow for monitoring of launch, ascent, descent and recovery, with high-resolution images 20 miles above the earth's surface recorded. The balloon is made of latex — not unlike those at birthday parties — and stretches up to 40 feet in diameter, according to Michael Baldwin, PBH chief engineer.
In two previous flights, the PBH team had discovered that optimizing the amount of helium in the balloon was a key component to a successful mission, Baldwin said. In the latest flight, the students also placed a blanket over the balloon's payload to reduce radiation exposure.
The students' flight beat the previous amateur altitude record by nearly 5,000 feet, according to the company. A national database of Amateur Radio High-Altitude Balloon flight records reports more than 40 teams currently competing in such categories as highest altitude, highest ascent rate, longest distance and longest flight time.
"We were all really enthused and wanted to do this, but there was no way one of us could have done this by ourselves," Baldwin said. "We really had to work together as a team efficiently."
Many agencies and companies are examining high-altitude balloon flight for exploration and surveying, as well as for detecting radio frequencies. Future PBH teams will launch missions that include long-duration flights, trans-Atlantic flights, multi-balloon missions and the release of unmanned vehicles from near-space altitudes, according to the company.
Scientific Computing Advantage Business Media Rockaway NJ 07866 |
Liens:
http://www.projectbluehorizon.com/#flight
http://www.projectbluehorizon.com/#about
http://wedothatradio.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/project-blue-horizon-sets-record/
http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2009/04/balloon-project-blue-horizon-reaches.html
http://courses2.cit.cornell.edu/sysen5960/
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2008/0603si-blue-horizon.html
A suivre,
73 Alain F6AGV
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