Re: Apex Alpha Launch 1
This is the official notification for the upcoming launch of Project Apex’s latest payload, Apex Alpha, on Saturday 22nd October 2011 from Churchill College, Cambridge. This will be Apex Alpha’s first launch. We aim to launch at around 11:00 BST; however, the exact time will depend on the weather conditions on the day and pre-launch testing.
The team is based at Sutton Grammar School for Boys in Sutton, Surrey and this is the fourth launch by the team. Information on this payload can be found at the project’s homepage, http://www.apexhab.org/alpha/, and in the project image gallery:http://gallery.apexhab.org/index.php/Apex-Alpha.
We would be grateful for anyone able to help with the tracking of the payload during its flight. The downlink details are as follows:
- Listen on AM SSB; LSB
- 434.650 MHz
- Shift: 425
- Baud: 300 and 50 alternating (3 x 300 baud packets, 2 x 50 baud packet, ~4 second window)
- Format: 8 bits per char, no parity, 2 stop bits
- Decoding: Select the ALPHA payload in dl-fldigi. This defaults to 300 baud; you must switch to 50 baud manually if you wish to decode the 50 baud transmissions.
Just select the “alpha” payload in dl-fldigi (get the latest version at http://github.com/jamescoxon/dl-fldigi/downloads). We are using two different baud rates and so the payload will alternate between them; transmitting each packet first three times on 300 then twice on 50 baud RTTY.
This payload has been designed to be light and small to gain maximum altitude. We are not planning on retrieving the payload, but a final decision will be made on the day by the team depending on weather conditions and predictions. All data is transmitted in the telemetry, then decoded and displayed by the tracker at http://spacenear.us/tracker. For those not available to track, you’ll be able to watch the balloon’s path at the tracker link above.
For latest information and updates on the launch date, keep an eye on our Twitter account (http://twitter.com/apexhab) and for the #apexhab hashtag. We will also be on IRC following up to the launch and throughout it. The channel is #apexhab onirc.freenode.net (and also on #highaltitude). Members on IRC throughout the launch will include priyesh, danielsaul and jonsowman. Also, don’t forget to check the project website for updates: http://www.apexhab.org.
Get in contact with the team by using the team mailing list: team@apexhab.org. Write-ups of the project, photographs and videos will be available at the project website (http://www.apexhab.org) after the launch.
Best regards,
Priyesh Patel
On behalf of the Project Apex Team