The public address system speakers are getting set up.
Mike Brest points to answer a question about where each launch pad
should be set up.
Each cluster of launch pads has its own electronics.
When this is done, all 35+ launch pads will be remotely
operated from the Launch Control table.
Pads are set up in arrays at 100, 200, 500 and 1500 feet from
the flight line, allowing the Pad Manager to assign launch pads
for each rocket based on minimum safe distances for the size
of the motor it uses.
Running the launch pad control cables out from the flight line...
Mike Brest pulls this control cable as far as it will go.
More extensions will be added.
Mike Brest pulls this control cable as far as it will go.
More extensions will be added.
More people keep arriving throughout the afternoon.
The flight line continues to grow.
More public address system speakers are installed.
These will be the Range Safety Officer (RSO) tables,
where rockets are inspected for safety before being
assigned a launch pad.
Controller boxes have been placed where the launch pads will be
installed.
The new tripod bases are placed for the 200-foot launch pads.
These are a big improvement, allowing rods or rails to be more
easily swapped out as needed for each rocket.
The new tripod bases are placed for the 200-foot launch pads.
Blast plates are installed on the 200-foot launch pads.
Construction is beginning in earnest at the ARLISS site.
Dozens of students coming from 8 universities in Japan
make a lot of the work get done in parallel.
Construction is beginning in earnest at the ARLISS site.
Dozens of students coming from 8 universities in Japan
make a lot of the work get done in parallel.
Stanford Professor Bob Twiggs leads the construction of the
ARLISS site with help from students from participating
universities.
University students build the ARLISS site.
Most of us had heard of John Coker's
project to build
a pack of Crayola rockets, made to look like scaled-up crayons.
Planned to launch on Sunday morning, this is one of many
highly-anticipated projects which will launch at XPRS III.
John Coker and his 8-pack of Crayola rockets.
A ladder is needed for construction of the 500-foot launch pads
(500 feet from the flight line.)
Construction of the 500-foot launch pads. (That's the row of them at
500 feet from the flight line.)
At this point on Thursday the east end of the flight line is
only about 500 feet from the center (with a gap for spots for
vendors who haven't arrived yet.)
By Saturday it will extent more than 1/4 mile each direction
from the center.
At first the west end of the flight line is filling in faster
as more people arrive. Some of this is because ARLISS is on
that side.
Also, on the left the black signs with launch pad numbers have been
put up for the 100-foot pads.
Launch pad numbers are going up on the 200-foot row of launch pads.
One set of public address system speakers will be placed at the
200-foot launch pads so that people setting up rockets on the pads
can hear announcements from the Launch Control Officer without
having to bring a radio with them.
Construction continues on the 200-foot row of launch pads.
In the middle-right background, Pad A on the 500-foot row is
under construction.
Late in the afternoon, it's beginning to look like a serious launch
site. Well, it is.
Paul Hopkins prepares to go install his Amateur Radio simplex repeater
on a hill overlooking the playa. This will give people with
Ham Radio licenses extended range for their low-power handheld radios.
Mike Dennis from Washington State with his V2.
Launch Director Peter Clay speaks at Friday morning's
pre-launch meeting.
Flyers and attendees are all requested to attend the meeting.
Attendees listen at the Friday morning meeting.
Jamie Clay brings his scale model Mercury rocket to the RSO table
for inspection.
His Friday flight is to test all the systems in preparation for
his Level 3 certification attempt on Sunday with this rocket.
This is also the same rocket used to make the Mercury Joe
videos on
videorocketry.com.
Jamie and his crew even have Mercury Joe Season Two t-shirts.
A peek into the Mercury capsule...
The astronaut (an action figure) poses with the Mercury Capsule.
Jamie holds up the Mercury rocket to answer questions that the
Range Safety Officer has during the inspection.
Then Jamie holds up the rocket to give the same view for the camera.
It also gives you an idea how much work he put into building it.
This is an AeroPAC tradition when an rocket carrying ARLISS payloads
is about to be launched.
One of students who is flying a payload aboard the rocket tell
everyone what research they are performing.
In this photo, the student is from Japan.
Many of the Japanese students are competing with "comeback"
payloads, trying to land nearest to a Japanese flag which has
been planted in the desert.
Scholarship money to be given to the project landing closest to
the target was put up by Stanford University, University of Tokyo
and Zilog Corporation (of Silcon Valley, California), which
makes the comeback payloads a popular project for students.
The first ARLISS launch of XPRS III lifts off from Pad C
(one of four pads in the 500-foot row.)
A successful ARLISS flight carries up student research payloads
and ejects them at apogee to begin performing their research.
Since each ARLISS payload has its own parachute, it's normal
for the Launch Control Officer to announce how many parachutes
that spotters have counted.
All the parachutes successfully deployed soon after this picture.
The public address system speakers are getting set up.
Mike Brest points to answer a question about where each launch pad
should be set up.
Each cluster of launch pads has its own electronics.
When this is done, all 35+ launch pads will be remotely
operated from the Launch Control table.
Pads are set up in arrays at 100, 200, 500 and 1500 feet from
the flight line, allowing the Pad Manager to assign launch pads
for each rocket based on minimum safe distances for the size
of the motor it uses.
Running the launch pad control cables out from the flight line...
Mike Brest pulls this control cable as far as it will go.
More extensions will be added.
Mike Brest pulls this control cable as far as it will go.
More extensions will be added.
More people keep arriving throughout the afternoon.
The flight line continues to grow.
More public address system speakers are installed.
These will be the Range Safety Officer (RSO) tables,
where rockets are inspected for safety before being
assigned a launch pad.
Controller boxes have been placed where the launch pads will be
installed.
The new tripod bases are placed for the 200-foot launch pads.
These are a big improvement, allowing rods or rails to be more
easily swapped out as needed for each rocket.
The new tripod bases are placed for the 200-foot launch pads.
Blast plates are installed on the 200-foot launch pads.
Construction is beginning in earnest at the ARLISS site.
Dozens of students coming from 8 universities in Japan
make a lot of the work get done in parallel.
Construction is beginning in earnest at the ARLISS site.
Dozens of students coming from 8 universities in Japan
make a lot of the work get done in parallel.
Stanford Professor Bob Twiggs leads the construction of the
ARLISS site with help from students from participating
universities.
University students build the ARLISS site.
Most of us had heard of John Coker's
project to build
a pack of Crayola rockets, made to look like scaled-up crayons.
Planned to launch on Sunday morning, this is one of many
highly-anticipated projects which will launch at XPRS III.
John Coker and his 8-pack of Crayola rockets.
A ladder is needed for construction of the 500-foot launch pads
(500 feet from the flight line.)
Construction of the 500-foot launch pads. (That's the row of them at
500 feet from the flight line.)
At this point on Thursday the east end of the flight line is
only about 500 feet from the center (with a gap for spots for
vendors who haven't arrived yet.)
By Saturday it will extent more than 1/4 mile each direction
from the center.
At first the west end of the flight line is filling in faster
as more people arrive. Some of this is because ARLISS is on
that side.
Also, on the left the black signs with launch pad numbers have been
put up for the 100-foot pads.
Launch pad numbers are going up on the 200-foot row of launch pads.
One set of public address system speakers will be placed at the
200-foot launch pads so that people setting up rockets on the pads
can hear announcements from the Launch Control Officer without
having to bring a radio with them.
Construction continues on the 200-foot row of launch pads.
In the middle-right background, Pad A on the 500-foot row is
under construction.
Late in the afternoon, it's beginning to look like a serious launch
site. Well, it is.
Paul Hopkins prepares to go install his Amateur Radio simplex repeater
on a hill overlooking the playa. This will give people with
Ham Radio licenses extended range for their low-power handheld radios.
Mike Dennis from Washington State with his V2.
Launch Director Peter Clay speaks at Friday morning's
pre-launch meeting.
Flyers and attendees are all requested to attend the meeting.
Attendees listen at the Friday morning meeting.
Jamie Clay brings his scale model Mercury rocket to the RSO table
for inspection.
His Friday flight is to test all the systems in preparation for
his Level 3 certification attempt on Sunday with this rocket.
This is also the same rocket used to make the Mercury Joe
videos on videorocketry.com.
Jamie and his crew even have Mercury Joe Season Two t-shirts.
A peek into the Mercury capsule...
The astronaut (an action figure) poses with the Mercury Capsule.
Jamie holds up the Mercury rocket to answer questions that the
Range Safety Officer has during the inspection.
Then Jamie holds up the rocket to give the same view for the camera.
It also gives you an idea how much work he put into building it.
This is an AeroPAC tradition when an rocket carrying ARLISS payloads
is about to be launched.
One of students who is flying a payload aboard the rocket tell
everyone what research they are performing.
In this photo, the student is from Japan.
Many of the Japanese students are competing with "comeback"
payloads, trying to land nearest to a Japanese flag which has
been planted in the desert.
Scholarship money to be given to the project landing closest to
the target was put up by Stanford University, University of Tokyo
and Zilog Corporation (of Silcon Valley, California), which
makes the comeback payloads a popular project for students.
The first ARLISS launch of XPRS III lifts off from Pad C
(one of four pads in the 500-foot row.)
A successful ARLISS flight carries up student research payloads
and ejects them at apogee to begin performing their research.
Since each ARLISS payload has its own parachute, it's normal
for the Launch Control Officer to announce how many parachutes
that spotters have counted.
All the parachutes successfully deployed soon after this picture.