Suntracker Flights
The Suntracker package has been successfully launched into the Stratosphere since August, 1999 to characterize a solar cell. The package has been launched from Findlay, Ohio and Portland, Indiana. The launch site is based on the
forecasted balloon trajectory. Some of the balloon flights were cancelled due to strong surface winds. Balloon trajectory and surface winds forecasts are developed using the READY model on the NOAA Web Site . Hourly surface winds forecast are also
obtained from the AccuWeather Web Site.
BalTrak software available at the EOSS Web Site is used to import READY generated forecast data and develop a balloon trajectory forecast for a given ascent rate and launching coordinates.
Suntracker I
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
No data were downlinked during the Suntracker I flight nor was the trajectory recorded.
| Date: |
August 29, 1999 |
| Time: |
10:30 A.M |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, Ohio |
| Ascent Rate: |
- |
| Burst Altitude: |
87,000 feet |
| Descent Rate: |
- |
| Landing Location: |
Marion, OH |
| Range: |
40 Miles |
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Suntracker II
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
Suntracker II was aborted due to a hardware failure.
| Date: |
September 9, 2001 |
| Time: |
- |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, Ohio |
| Ascent Rate: |
- |
| Burst Altitude: |
- |
| Descent Rate: |
- |
| Landing Location: |
- |
| Range: |
- |
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Suntracker III
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
| Date: |
September 14, 2002 |
| Time: |
10:15 A.M |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, Ohio |
| Ascent Rate: |
500 ft/min |
| Burst Altitude: |
94,256 feet |
| Descent Rate: |
7000-1000 ft/min |
| Landing Location: |
Greenwich, OH |
| Range: |
55.2 miles |
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Suntracker IV
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
| Date: |
October 12, 2002 |
| Time: |
10:00 A.M |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, Ohio |
| Ascent Rate: |
400 ft/min |
| Burst Altitude: |
87,103 feet |
| Descent Rate: |
7000-1000 ft/min |
| Landing Location: |
Brunswick, OH |
| Range: |
94 miles |
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Suntracker V
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
Suntracker V was aborted due to strong surface winds.
| Date: |
November 9, 2002 |
| Time: |
- |
| Launch Location: |
Portland, Indiana |
| Ascent Rate: |
- |
| Burst Altitude: |
- |
| Descent Rate: |
- |
| Landing Location: |
- |
| Range: |
- |
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Suntracker VI
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
| Date: |
October 7, 2002 |
| Time: |
11:00 A.M |
| Launch Location: |
Portland, Indiana |
| Ascent Rate: |
750 ft/min |
| Burst Altitude: |
95,956 feet |
| Descent Rate: |
7500-1200 ft/min |
| Landing Location: |
Canton, OH |
| Range: |
186 miles |
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Suntracker VII
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
| Date: |
August, 2003 |
| Time: |
10:00 A.M |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, Ohio |
| Ascent Rate: |
- |
| Burst Altitude: |
- |
| Descent Rate: |
- |
| Landing Location: |
- |
| Range: |
- |
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Suntracker VIII
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
The Suntracker VIII flight was aborted due to strong surface winds.
| Date: |
November, 2003 |
| Time: |
11:00 A.M |
| Launch Location: |
Portland, Indiana |
| Ascent Rate: |
- |
| Burst Altitude: |
- |
| Descent Rate: |
- |
| Landing Location: |
- |
| Range: |
- |
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Suntracker IX
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
| Date: |
December 6, 2003 |
| Time: |
11:30 A.M |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, Ohio |
| Balloon: |
Kaysam 1500 gms |
| Ascent Rate: |
750 ft/min |
| Burst Altitude: |
110,918 feet |
| Descent Rate: |
7000-2000 ft/min |
| Landing Location: |
- |
| Range: |
100 miles |
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Suntracker X
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
| Date: |
July 17, 2004 |
| Time: |
10:00 A.M |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, Ohio |
| Balloon: |
Kaysam 2000 gms |
| Ascent Rate: |
730 ft/min |
| Burst Altitude: |
111,509 feet |
| Descent Rate: |
6000-1000 ft/min |
| Landing Location: |
- |
| Range: |
15 miles |
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Suntracker XI
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
The Suntracker XI flight was aborted due to strong surface winds.
| Date: |
November 6, 2004 |
| Time: |
10:00 A.M |
| Surface Winds |
19.2 mph |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, Ohio |
| Balloon: |
Kaysam 3000 gms |
| Ascent Rate: |
- |
| Burst Altitude: |
- |
| Descent Rate: |
- |
| Landing Location: |
- |
| Range: |
- |
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Suntracker XII
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
The Suntracker XII flight was aborted due to balloon cutting off during launch.
| Date: |
November 13, 2004 |
| Time: |
10:00 A.M |
| Surface Winds |
10 mph |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, Ohio |
| Balloon: |
Kaysam 3000 gms |
| Ascent Rate: |
- |
| Burst Altitude: |
- |
| Descent Rate: |
- |
| Landing Location: |
- |
| Range: |
- |
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Suntracker XIII
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
| Launch Date: |
January 29, 2005 |
| Launch Location: |
Portland Municipal Airport, Portland, IN |
| Launch Coordinates |
N40 Deg. 27.849 Min.
W84 Deg. 58.969 Min |
| Launch Conditions: |
Snowing with 4 Knot surface winds and air temperature of about 1 degree Celcius. |
| Balloon: |
Kaysam 3000 gms inflated in hangar with 240 cubic feet of helium and transported in a plastic bag to airstrip for launching. |
| Weight: |
5.9 lbs. scientific package and 1.1 lbs. train. |
| Launch Time: |
11:51 AM |
| Average Ascent Rate: |
738 ft/min |
| Burst Altitude: |
111,448 Ft. |
| Burst Coordinates: |
N41 Deg. 2.394 Min.
W83 Deg. 3.747 Min. |
| Burst Time: |
2:20 PM |
| Landing Time: |
3:05 PM |
| Landing Location: |
4.8 miles South-Southeast of Norwalk, OH |
| Landing Coordinates: |
N41 Deg. 11.0862 Min.
W82 Deg. 33.8985 Min. |
| Retrieval Time: |
4:08 PM |
| Range: |
136.04 Miles |
Suntracker XIV
Photographs Raw Data Data Analysis Trajectory
| Launch Date: |
April 16, 2005 |
| Launch Location: |
Findlay, OH |
| Launch Coordinates |
N40 Deg. 58.39 Min.
W83 Deg. 36.84 Min |
| Launch Conditions: |
Clear skies with 10Knot surface winds. |
| Balloon: |
Kaysam 3000 gms inflated outdoors with hydrogen. |
| Weight: |
5.9 lbs. scientific package and 1.1 lbs. train. |
| Launch Time: |
9:06 AM |
| Average Ascent Rate: |
764 ft/min |
| Burst Altitude: |
60,325 Ft. |
| Burst Coordinates: |
N40 Deg. 50.186 Min.
W83 Deg. 30.096 Min. |
| Burst Time: |
10:27 AM |
| Landing Time: |
10:59 PM |
| Landing Location: |
2.6 miles Southeast of Forest, OH |
| Landing Coordinates: |
N40 Deg. 46.3119 Min.
W83 Deg. 29.4791 Min. |
| Retrieval Time: |
11:19 AM |
| Range: |
15.35 Miles |
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