Great Plains Superlaunch - Colorado Springs - Recap

KCØRPS's picture
Submitted by KCØRPS on Sun, 08/04/2024 - 17:56

One pico balloon and five high-altitude latex balloons were launched from Limon Softball Complex on Saturday, August 3, 2024.

As of August 4, 2024, the pico balloon is beaconing as WB8ELK-7 and currently floating at 43,480 ft over Midland Texas

The balloons launched as follows (see paths on picture to right):

  • WB8ELK-7 (red) - pico balloon floating at 42,961 - 43,833 feet
  • WBØURW-11, NØMPM-12, & WB8ELK-11 (pink) - 101,174 ft maximum
  • AIRSLICER-A & AIRSLICER-B (blue) - 100,506 ft maximum
  • AEØSS-2, AEØSS-4, & KCØD-2 (light green) - 98,885 ft maximum
  • KD4EAT, WØMXX, W1STR (orange) - 102,497 ft maximum
  • KE5GDB (green) - 100,108 ft maximum (36 yr old balloon)

See tracking informaiton in the Charts & Data gallery below.

Any data or pictures from these flights would be appreciated.

 

Recap Gallery: 
Original Announcement: 

The 2024 GPSL Symposium and Exhibition is proud to announce its sponsorship by Edge of Space Sciences, a leading organization in Colorado dedicated to space research. This partnership will enhance the event and make it even more prestigious.

The symposium will take place at Pikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs, known for its excellent academic programs and research facilities. This location will provide a beautiful backdrop for discussions and presentations.

Edge of Space Sciences is the perfect sponsor for the GPSL, as their expertise and commitment to pushing scientific boundaries align with the goals of the event.

Participants will have the opportunity to explore the latest advancements in High Altitude Ballooning (HAB) technology through symposium sessions and will also enjoy networking events.

A group launch will occur at the Meadow Lake Airport in Payton, Colorado on Saturday August 3, 2024.

Details are available at the GPSL website at https://www.superlaunch.org

Event Date: 
Sunday, August 4, 2024 - 17:45
Flight Coordinator: 
KØNKK & KCØRPS
FrequencyList: 

Preflight Briefing will occur the preceding afternoon at the GPSL conference:

Flight Day:

Launch Site:
        • 446.050 MHz Simplex  
        (Note that some radios assume these are repeater frequencies and attempt to put a 5 MHz offset in the transmit frequency automatically)

Track & Recovery Operations:
        Repeaters:
        • 147.345 MHz (+0.6 MHz Offset, 107.2 Hz Tone) Cheyenne Mountain Repeater Group machine

        Simplex Frequencies:
        • 446.250 MHz Field Simplex 
        (Note that some radios assume these are repeater frequencies and attempt to put a 5 MHz offset in the transmit frequency automatically)

Digital Mobile Radio (DMR):

  • Rocky Mountain Wide Network – Talk Group 700 - Rocky Mountain Ham Radio has approval to the use "Wide" for flight operations

2M Direction Finding Frequencies:

  • 432.605 Horus Binary
  • 432.615 Horus Binary
  • 432.625 Horus Binary
  • 144.390 APRS
  • 144.905 APRS
  • 145.535 APRS
  • 145.765 APRS

 

Tactical Calls: 
TacticalCall SignNameNotes