5.5.1 Flight Operations
The NSC flight team headed by Timothy T. Lachenmeier is experienced at stratospheric balloon operations, including mission planning and coordination, payload
integration and check-out, inflation, launch, tracking, and recovery. It has carried
out over 160 stratospheric balloon flights and has demonstrated the ability to meet
demanding project schedules and requirements. With an integrated balloon facility, NSC can deploy the combined experience of its engineering, production and
flight operations staff in support of high altitude and near-space missions.
NSC can employ a variety of launch techniques and balloon systems to provide
test services for a wide range of payload masses and altitudes. Their capabilities
include:
• Mission planning.
• Payload integration and check-out.
• Balloon flight operations and mission control.
• FAA coordination, airspace tracking and conflict avoidance.
• Payload recovery.
• Flight documentation.
Within an interval of just 30 minutes on September 25, 2018, NSC launched
two high altitude balloons for the NASA Flight Opportunities Program into the
skies over central Oregon. These flights, launched just after dawn, assessed the
utility of multiple sensors and a beyond line of site (BLOS) tactical data link network. Both balloons were launched from the same location, and successfully
achieved float altitudes in excess of 28.3 km (93,000 ft). All systems performed
well and the payloads were recovered intact and undamaged. Formal analysis of
payload performance was done by the company in concert with the National
Assessment Group (NAG), Sandia National Laboratory, the data link suppliers,
and the Joint Staff of the Department of Defense.
Fig. 5.12 NSC launches two balloons 30 minutes apart. Photo courtesy of NSC
106 Commercial Corporations and Applications
The NSC flight team headed by Timothy T. Lachenmeier is experienced at stratospheric balloon operations, including mission planning and coordination, payload
integration and check-out, inflation, launch, tracking, and recovery. It has carried
out over 160 stratospheric balloon flights and has demonstrated the ability to meet
demanding project schedules and requirements. With an integrated balloon facility, NSC can deploy the combined experience of its engineering, production and
flight operations staff in support of high altitude and near-space missions.
NSC can employ a variety of launch techniques and balloon systems to provide
test services for a wide range of payload masses and altitudes. Their capabilities
include:
• Mission planning.
• Payload integration and check-out.
• Balloon flight operations and mission control.
• FAA coordination, airspace tracking and conflict avoidance.
• Payload recovery.
• Flight documentation.
Within an interval of just 30 minutes on September 25, 2018, NSC launched
two high altitude balloons for the NASA Flight Opportunities Program into the
skies over central Oregon. These flights, launched just after dawn, assessed the
utility of multiple sensors and a beyond line of site (BLOS) tactical data link network. Both balloons were launched from the same location, and successfully
achieved float altitudes in excess of 28.3 km (93,000 ft). All systems performed
well and the payloads were recovered intact and undamaged. Formal analysis of
payload performance was done by the company in concert with the National
Assessment Group (NAG), Sandia National Laboratory, the data link suppliers,
and the Joint Staff of the Department of Defense.
Fig. 5.12 NSC launches two balloons 30 minutes apart. Photo courtesy of NSC
106 Commercial Corporations and Applications