Pictures from JP Aerospace's May 22-23 Space Launch Attempt
All Pictures

Photos and text on this page are by Ian Kluft KO6YQ. See also Sam Severs' photos from Saturday.

Participants' Amateur Radio callsigns are noted where I knew of them.

[picture] This light tower was put up by Sacramento Channel 10 because they had trouble filming the pre-dawn activities back in September.
[picture] ERPS's Dave Lautenschlager signs in at 3:30AM.
[picture] This is the launch box that will eventually hold the rocket while the balloons carry them up.
[picture] People are starting to move (roll) the Helium tanks out. One is jumping over the "caution" ribbon to follow the tank he just pushed.
[picture] The Sacramento Channel 10 cameraman.
[picture] The ground control consoles.
[picture] The rocket.
[picture] JP Aerospace founder, John "JP" Powell W6JPA, starts the launch process with a meeting and then picks the balloon filling team captains.
[picture] Filling balloons as daylight begins to show on the eastern horizon.
[picture] Sunrise at Black Rock, and half the balloons are filled.
[picture] A view of the JPA camp with all 10 balloons filled and waiting in the calm air.
[picture] The JPA crews work on a last-minute problem with the rocket's GPS receiver.
[picture] The CNN and Channel 10 news crews.
[picture] A Cessna 172 arrives at 7AM with Brad Walker and Sam Severs N6FAV from the Bay Area.
[picture] The rocket is ready and the launch box is brought out into position.
[picture] Balloons are being brought into position for launch. The deformation of the balloons in the photo is an indication that by now (8AM), the wind has picked up.
[picture] The wind started popping balloons one by one until there weren't enough spares. The launch is scrubbed and will be tried again Sunday.
[picture] One of the teams struggles in the wind and successfully salvages a balloon.
[picture] The CNN crew looks unhappy. Probably because of the wind. It did that to everyone.
[picture] Brad and Sam depart for Palo Alto.
[picture] Takeoff.
[picture] Brad and Sam fly by on their departure.
[picture] Sunday at dawn - balloons are being filled for another attempt.