Oral Roberts University Launch [2/21/2009]

Zach and I went to Tulsa, Oklahoma to do a CCLI launch for Oral Roberts University.

I have to say that the students picked up on everything very fast and began the process of readying the command and payloads for the launch in the morning with vigor. As they worked, a new experiment came into view…..A live animal test which would be essentially basic; would a mouse live in space? We expected the immediate answer to be an emphatic “NO!,” but a certain amount of hope filled those around me who obviously enjoy a good challenge. It became an integral part of the night to try and devise a way to construct a simple chamber in which a standard mouse would have enough air to breath for 1½ hours and enough heat to survive the journey—although cryogenics hadn’t complete been ruled out.
In order to not inflate anyone’s hopes for this mouse, I should explain that just before the launch, the team decided they had a moral dilemma, and of course couldn’t bring themselves to loose sleep over the death of a mouse. Apparently, they felt a more suitable chamber was required before attempting this feat.
So the launch moved on, and I have to say that it was the most wind I’ve ever experienced at a launch site. Getting the balloon off the ground was a chore, but I guess it evened out in the end because the recovery went smoothly with just the right amount of challenge to make it fun.
The most pleasant thing about the landing site was the people that joined us. The residents of the property came with their dog—about 4 people all over 60 years old, and Zorro. They were elated by the fact that the balloon landed in their “back-yard,” which happed to be about 20 acres minimum. So, about 30 minuets and 20 feet of connected PVC piping later, we had the payloads knocked out of the tree and were headed back to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa.

It was a fun day, and I'm excited to see the work of everyone in Tulsa as they are pretty excited to start ballooning projects from here on out.