Eta

Zephyrus Eta

Zephyrus Eta was launched on July 20th, 2025. The purpose of this launch was to attempt to send a Cosmic Watch particle detector to a higher altitude than previously reached.

Launch Logistics 7-20-25

Preparations

The tables on the left show the payload for Zephyrus Eta. The balloon was flown with a parachute, spot trace, APRS, Cosmic Watch particle detector, and GMC-500 Geiger counter.

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Path Predictions and Launch

Path predictions, including burst calculations and flight parameters, are pictured above. The balloon was launched at 10:25 am EDT from Charlestown Township Park in Phoenixville, PA.

Flight and Recovery Information

The balloon flew for 3 hours and 20 minutes. The balloon landed high in a tree at a horse farm in Medford, NJ. Recovery was initially unsuccessful. The team was able to hit the payload with a (brand new!) 60ft pole, but the payload was tangled in the tree and would not come down. The property owner suggested contacting a local tree company. The tree company came with a bucket truck and retrieved the payload from the tree. All payload components survived the flight and successfully recorded data.

Eta Launch Record

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