Embedded Files
Me in the Vehicle Assembly Building during the pre-launch countdown
My launches occurred on Oct 30, 2017 at 4 a.m. MST and Dec 18, 2018, at 12:46 a.m. MST., out of LC-36 at White Sands Missile Range.
The first launch (October 2017) targeted Beta CMa but suffered a gyroscope failure that pointed the payload 52 degrees off-target and resulted in no science data ("PL support systems failure"). The payload recovered well with no damage.
The second launch (December 2018) was a comprehensive success, acquiring the first ever flux-calibrated spectrum of the B star Epsilon CMa from 700-1150A. The flight data quality was excellent and everything that could go right did. The payload recovered well with no damage.
Below is a video of my second (successful) launch, as well as video of what I saw and did as the graduate student controlling the rocket.
Launch #2 Video: Launch views at 1:07, 3:09, 4:56, 7:18 Great view punching through the clouds at 3:15, 7:23
My view from my console at the command uplink facility during launch #2. The only command I had to send was a slew from our high resolution slit to our low resolution slit. A great flight!
The spot from Epsilon CMa enters from off-screen as the rocket initially acquires the star. It's initially distorted due to the poor off-axis performance of the Wolter-II telescope. It then comes to rest on the small (high resolution) slit, which you can see as a shadow blocking the spot.
After about 22 seconds on-slit (0:33), I send the command to slew the rocket to the large (low resolution) slit. The slit is slightly bigger than the spot, so as the spot moves to the right it seems to disappear. It's actually fully encompassed by the large slit, so you don't see it in the aspect camera anymore. We saw our low-resolution spectrum coming through in real time, so we knew we hadn't 'lost' the star. We stayed in that configuration for about five minutes, until the shutter door closed and HV turned off for re-entry.
Here is a separate video of a day-launch solar sounding rocket, also from a CU Boulder group (LASP). This video has nothing to do with my launch, but let's you see what's happening from an onboard goPro camera. It also has altitudes, speeds, and g-forces.
My favorite event is the de-spin, at 1:25. De-spin is achieved by releasing weights attached to the rocket by cables. As the weights spin out, they increase the moment of inertia of the rocket and slow its spin, just like an ice skater extending their arms or legs outward. The cables are then cut and the weights spin out into space, carrying away angular momentum and leaving the rocket essentially spin-free. Incredible.
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