STEP 3 – PRE-LAUNCH LOGISTICS

CHOOSING A LAUNCH SITE

Teachers should help us identify potential launch sites. The more options we have, the better! Most of the time, we launch from an appropriate location at the school, but we are also happy to launch off campus if that is preferred. An ideal launch location is a large open area, such as a field or parking lot, that is clear of tall obstacles such as trees, light poles, and power lines. Keep in mind that even a moderate breeze (e.g., 10 mph) will carry the balloon some distance horizontally after it is launched, so be sure the launch location is well upwind of any surrounding obstacles. The less windy it is on launch day, the more confined a launch site can be.

Unless you’ve been given explicit permission to do so, never choose a launch site that is within a restricted area (i.e., on airport property, a military base, etc.), or from a location whereby the balloon will fly directly OVER a restricted area immediately upon release! When in doubt, always ask for permission.

If it is breezy on launch day, we will likely need to inflate the balloon in an area that is somewhat sheltered. This could be outside or inside. Good outside spots tend to be just downwind of a building or group of large trees. The taller the obstacles, the better. For example, if the wind is coming from the west, a decent spot might be on the east side of a two-story building. A good inside option would be a gymnasium or garage. However, there must be direct outside access from this location via large bay doors. The balloon is usually 8–9 feet tall when we launch, so the doors should have at least 12 feet of clearance.

CHASE & RECOVERY VEHICLE

We encourage participants to join us for the chase and payload recovery after the launch, although we understand that this is not always feasible for some school groups. Those who do wish to join us will need an appropriate vehicle. Consider how many participants will be coming along and if any of them will be students. Since we occasionally find ourselves driving on rough gravel/dirt roads at some point during the recovery, our chase vehicle is always a high clearance 4WD SUV. We recommend having a similar vehicle just to be safe.

Please keep in mind that, per University of Wyoming policy, we are not permitted to transport any K-12 students in our vehicles. If the only ones joining us for the recovery are adults, they may be able to ride with us if we have enough room.

MISSION CONTROL WEBPAGE

For each launch, we create a “Mission Control” page for tracking the balloon and viewing the live data feed. This page is maintained by Stratostar and is accessible to anyone with an internet connection (if they know the URL). Click here to see an example of the Mission Control interface for one of our previous launches.

Once the launch date has been scheduled, we will send the teacher a link to the Mission Control page. Prior to the launch, Mission Control will only show a countdown to the launch. Live GPS tracking and monitoring of the SatCom data feed are not available until the SatCom is turned on and activated on launch day.

We strongly encourage school groups to share their Mission Control URL with anyone who will be directly involved with the launch (students, teachers, parents, etc.). Schools may also consider promoting the launch on their websites or social media platforms, or by contacting local news organizations. We find that local newspapers and TV stations in Wyoming are often quite eager to cover our launches and highlight these incredible experiences for local students. However, please DO NOT share the Mission Control URL with media or the general public BEFORE the launch! Although highly unlikely, we don’t want to run the risk of random folks from the public being able to track the balloon and recover the payload items before us.