Mexican high altitude balloon SARSEM-ICARUS II is a success!

As recently posted on this website, the near space project SARSEM-ICARUS II Mexican Aerostatic Sub-Space Repeater System by its initials in Spanish, launched on Nov 20th, was a complete success.

The system carrying a cross-band repeater system (U/V), APRS (XE1CRG-11), temperature, voltage sensors, flight computer, and a secondary backup system including other GPS and control system, and also camera and a video camera transmitting video at 900Mhz, reached 28,743 meters (94 301 ft), captured amazing photos and video, and the important part is that 103 contacts where made with the onboard crossband repeater, with the ground control station having a full coverage of 888 Km (551 miles across 13 States of Mexico.

The system was completely recovered just 30 Km (18.6 m) from the launch area and a breakthrough for this project was the testing of an automatic mechanical cut off system, that worked flawlessly, no electronics where involved is this simple device, as it freed the parachute from the balloon at the instant it exploded, this device was designed by the Senior Mechanical Engineer David Remba.

This is a second success for the Amateur Radio Club of the State of Guanajuato (http://craeg.remtronic.com), and now they are planning to go for a third one in 2011.

Amazing video clip on HD of the project including the photo sequence of the photos taken by the onboard camera:

Video Captured by the SARSEM-ICARUS II as it climbs up the stratosphere:

More videos and photo galleries:
http://craeg.remtronic.com//index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=71

Tweet