Balloon Flight VWS-4

Failure Mode: Impact with a garbage dumpster on takeoff dislodged batteries and disconnected several cables within the payload.

Payload Summary

• APRS on 144.39 MHz
  • WhereAVR APRS Controller
  • Garmin GPS-18 LVC
  • Yaesu FT-10R Trasmitter @ 1W
  • J-Pole Antenna
  • 8 Energizer L91 Lithium AA Batteries
• Digital Photo System
  • 2x Kodak EasyShare C315 5.5 Megapixel Cameras
  • 8 Energizer L91 Lithium AA Batteries
  • AVR-based controller board to take photos/video

Flight Summary

VWS-4 was launched from Front Royal, VA at around 10:30 AM on July 22, 2006. Upon release, a strong crosswind carried the payload package directly into the side of a large garbage dumpster. The impact damaged the payload which was never heard again. The launch crew stood helpless and watched as it drifted out of sight.

VWS-4 was supposed to be an altitude record attempt. The payload weighed in at three pounds, and a 3000 gram balloon was selected. The target burst altitude was approximmately 126,000 feet.

Two days later, word was received that a farmer near Romney, WV had found the payload in his oat field. Pete Norloff, KG4OJT, made the four-hour trek to retrieve the payload. He also delivered a framed photograph taken by VWS-3 to the land owner.

Upon recovery, it became apparent that the payload had impacted the earth at a high rate of speed due to the failure of the parachute to deploy properly. Its operation was impeded by a mass of balloon which became entangled in the parachute after burst. Several pieces of straw had pierced the styrofoam container that held the payload, and the container also had several large cracks in it. It is unclear what damage was sustained at the impact with the dumpster and what damage was from the hard landing.

Nearly every connector in the payload had become disconnected at some point, however, and both battery packs had cells that had popped out of the holders. Power was lost on both the APRS and camera subsystems at launch - no photographs were taken during the flight.

Did VWS-4 break an altitude record? We will never know.

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