Sky-Eye I Flight
Mission Control Procedures
By John Unger, W4AU, Hamilton, Virginia, July 16, 2001

1.   Establish comms with Launch, Tracking and Recovery Teams, synchronize watches,
      and request time to ops ready status for each Team
      1.1  Comms freqs: 144.945 FM, ~7.035 CW, 7.285, and below, on  LSB
2.   Schedule launch time and relay to all Teams
3.   Launch Team is ready to fill the balloon Verify that Tracking and Recovery Teams are ready for launch
4.   When all teams are op ready clear the Launch Team to fill the balloon
5.   Launch Team is ready to release the balloon
      5.1 .Verify all teams ready to copy balloon signal
6.   Give permission for Launch Team release the balloon; record launch time
7.   Stand by for Acquisition of Signal (AOS)
8.   Record AOS time and relay to all tracking teams
      8.1  Schedule tracking observations at 5-minute intervals from AOS
9.   Take bearings from Tracking Teams and plot fixes
10. Monitor flight telemetry on downlink (145.650 MHz)
      10.1 Plot pressure (altitude) every transmission if possible and outside temperature
11.  Periodically report flight status to all teams
12.  Report max altitude (burst height) and descent phase to all teams
13.  Estimate descent time and calculate estimated touch down time
14.  Estimate landing area and relay to all teams
15.  Continue to plot fixes
16.  When downlink indicates touchdown:
      16.1  Call for final bearings,
      16.2  Plot final fix,
      16.3  Relay final fix to all trackers.
      16.4  Assign one tracking station (or mission control) to monitor balloon package signal
               16.4.1  Terminate tracking ops and stand by until Tracking Teams are packed and ready to travel
17.  When tracking Teams are ready to travel terminate mission control ops and clear all teams to head for landing area

MISSION CONTROL - EQUIPMENT LIST

Medium scale (~1:100,000) map(s) of region mounted on rigid board with compass rose at Mission Control location -- WB3AKD
Protractor (large, circular; 0-360 degrees) -- W4AU
Large triangle (for drawing N - S lines through Tracking Team locations -- W4AU
Table of pressure vs. altitude -- WB3AKD
Made-up table for entering pressure, voltage, and temperature data from downlink -- WB3AKD
Notebook computer -- W4AU
Tape recorder -- W4AU
DF gear -- W4AU
Compass -- W4AU
2-meter rig - Comms -- N4OHE
2-meter rig - tracking -- N4OHE
HF rig - Comms -- N4OHE

MISSION CONTROL - PERSONNEL DUTIES

Record and plot data from Tracking Teams
Communicate with Launch, Tracking, and Recovery Teams
Record and plot data from balloon telemetry

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