Pictures from JP Aerospace's May 22-23 Space Launch Attempt
Saturday, May 22 Pictures by Sam Severs

These photos were taken by Sam Severs N6FAV <ssevers@cisco.com> on Saturday May 22, 1999. Captions are by Ian Kluft KO6YQ. The photos were scanned for Internet display by Ian with Sam's permission.

Sam's photos have good coverage of the launch preparations, where I usually couldn't take a picture because I was helping. So I think this complements my set of pictures pretty well.

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

The crew set the launch box in position awaiting launch.

Onlookers watch with concern as the wind picks up. The balloons can be seen being blown around while tied down. The rest of the JPA camp is also visible in the picture.

Three crew members frantically fill another balloon to replace one that just popped in the wind.

Onlookers continue to watch. The balloons wait while the crews work on the GPS receiver in the rocket.

Assembling the balloons for launch, now in high winds: the balloon on the left is being "carried" by a volunteer to be the first one for the "second tier" of the balloon stack. The other four to its right are the first (top) tier, with one more balloon than JPA usually uses in a tier.

Crew members help with final per-launch checkouts of the launch box, which has the rocket inside it.

The video downlink operator checks that her equipment is receiving video from the launch box.

From a distance (at the ground control station), it looks like a lot of people out there. This picture includes launch crews, news crews and onlookers (mostly family and friends of crew members). At this point, the winds have popped too many balloons and the launch has been scrubbed for the day.

The ground control station operators check the data transmitted from the rocket and launch box. There is a sunburst effect on the camera down the middle of the picture.

JP Aerospace founder John "JP" Powell talks with pilot Brad Walker.

JP and Brad talking.

Sam snaps a picture of me.

The data reception antennas are Ham Radio 2m/70cm "stacked Yagis". (The "stacked" means they're a phased array wired to act as one antenna with better reception.)

The video reception antennas are Ham Radio 70cm stacked Yagis. They have 19 elements each, making for very high gain.

Sacramento's Channel 10 news crew was there.

JP talks to the group about the plans for the rest of the day and what needs to be done for Sunday's launch attempt.

JP and other members of JP Aerospace.

The fill tubes are removed from popped balloons and collected before being stowed for the next day, where they'll be re-used on new balloons. The picture also shows the cracked crust typical of the ground at the Black Rock Desert. This "dry" lakebed consists of Gypsum and clay soil, and is really only dry for the top half inch or so.

JPA's spare rocket sits on a stand at the ground control station. Behind it are gas cans for the generator and a trash can. In the background, the dust cloud from a speeding car mixes with the mirage to obscure surface visibility. Though distant hills are clearly visible above the mirage as usual.

A crew struggles in the wind to deflate and salvage a balloon. They finally get control of it as enough people surround it to hold it in place. To the right, Sacramento News10 gets video of the efforts.

Sam got another picture of me - something apparently got my attention. On the right in the photo is Uriah Barnett KF6FQA. Behind Uriah is Jim McCorduck KF6QLG. (After Sunday's successful launch, Uriah was the one who recovered the nose section of the rocket with his dune buggy, from another distant desert lakebed even the 4x4s couldn't drive on. We brought Uriah's buggy to the edge of the lakebed in my 4x4 truck.) In the far background to the north, the triangle-shaped rock is Black Rock Point and the mountains are the Black Rock Range.

David Brock KF6CXT and John "JP" Powell W6JPA, walking out to check on the clean-up of the launch area after the morning's scrubbed launch.

More of the crew checking the area is secured for the day.

More of the crew checking the area is secured for the day.

This truck obviously belongs to JP Aerospace Vice President David Brock, since his Amateur Radio callsign KF6CXT is on the bumper. The license plate frame says "JP Aerospace - America's OTHER Space Program."

Brad Walker's Cessna 172.

Back to the JPA May 22-23 launch photos index
Back to Ian's Black Rock Pictures page

	The crew set the launch box in position awaiting launch.
	Onlookers watch with concern as the wind picks up. The balloons can be seen being blown around while tied down. The rest of the JPA camp is also visible in the picture.
	Three crew members frantically fill another balloon to replace one that just popped in the wind.
	Onlookers continue to watch. The balloons wait while the crews work on the GPS receiver in the rocket.
	Assembling the balloons for launch, now in high winds: the balloon on the left is being "carried" by a volunteer to be the first one for the "second tier" of the balloon stack. The other four to its right are the first (top) tier, with one more balloon than JPA usually uses in a tier.
	Crew members help with final per-launch checkouts of the launch box, which has the rocket inside it.
	The video downlink operator checks that her equipment is receiving video from the launch box.
	From a distance (at the ground control station), it looks like a lot of people out there. This picture includes launch crews, news crews and onlookers (mostly family and friends of crew members). At this point, the winds have popped too many balloons and the launch has been scrubbed for the day.
	The ground control station operators check the data transmitted from the rocket and launch box. There is a sunburst effect on the camera down the middle of the picture.
	JP Aerospace founder John "JP" Powell talks with pilot Brad Walker.
	JP and Brad talking.
	Sam snaps a picture of me.
	The data reception antennas are Ham Radio 2m/70cm "stacked Yagis". (The "stacked" means they're a phased array wired to act as one antenna with better reception.)
	The video reception antennas are Ham Radio 70cm stacked Yagis. They have 19 elements each, making for very high gain.
	Sacramento's Channel 10 news crew was there.
	JP talks to the group about the plans for the rest of the day and what needs to be done for Sunday's launch attempt.
	JP and other members of JP Aerospace.
	The fill tubes are removed from popped balloons and collected before being stowed for the next day, where they'll be re-used on new balloons. The picture also shows the cracked crust typical of the ground at the Black Rock Desert. This "dry" lakebed consists of Gypsum and clay soil, and is really only dry for the top half inch or so.
	JPA's spare rocket sits on a stand at the ground control station. Behind it are gas cans for the generator and a trash can. In the background, the dust cloud from a speeding car mixes with the mirage to obscure surface visibility. Though distant hills are clearly visible above the mirage as usual.
	A crew struggles in the wind to deflate and salvage a balloon. They finally get control of it as enough people surround it to hold it in place. To the right, Sacramento News10 gets video of the efforts.
	Sam got another picture of me - something apparently got my attention. On the right in the photo is Uriah Barnett KF6FQA. Behind Uriah is Jim McCorduck KF6QLG. (After Sunday's successful launch, Uriah was the one who recovered the nose section of the rocket with his dune buggy, from another distant desert lakebed even the 4x4s couldn't drive on. We brought Uriah's buggy to the edge of the lakebed in my 4x4 truck.) In the far background to the north, the triangle-shaped rock is Black Rock Point and the mountains are the Black Rock Range.
	David Brock KF6CXT and John "JP" Powell W6JPA, walking out to check on the clean-up of the launch area after the morning's scrubbed launch.
	More of the crew checking the area is secured for the day.
	More of the crew checking the area is secured for the day.
	This truck obviously belongs to JP Aerospace Vice President David Brock, since his Amateur Radio callsign KF6CXT is on the bumper. The license plate frame says "JP Aerospace - America's OTHER Space Program."
	Brad Walker's Cessna 172.

Pictures from JP Aerospace's May 22-23 Space Launch Attempt Saturday, May 22 Pictures by Sam Severs

Pictures from JP Aerospace's May 22-23 Space Launch Attempt
Saturday, May 22 Pictures by Sam Severs