Department of Physics & Astronomy  
Summer 2006 NSF REU Program
Field Trip to NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility
in Palestine, Texas
July 21, 2006
Click on the image for a full-resolution version
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Aerostar's, scientific balloon     manufactoring plant,     Sulphur Springs, TX   |
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  REU participants Trevor Gamble,
Robey     Clark, Mitchell Rutkowski & Cassidy Smith,     with hosts Dr Marcum & Dr Fanelli on the left   |
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  The payload,
ARCADE is being     attached to the launch vehicle   |
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  Payload operations control room     (used only for balloon flights)     in the Arctic & Antarctic) |
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  The launch vehicle on the "pad".  
  ARCADE (~5000 lbs) is attached via     cable from the release arm.   |
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  The launch crew is waiting for
a "GO"     to begin filling the balloon.     The helium tanks are on the left, trucked in     from West Texas.   |
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  Balloon fill takes about 45 minutes   |
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  During inflation, the balloon is
    held down with a massive roller     which is released at "launch".     Click on this image and view the full     resolution image to see this device.   |
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  Balloon release   |
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  Up she (?) goes. The
recovery parachute       is visible in this image   |
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  Payload release   |
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  ARCADE at about 1000 feet   |