A group of hobbyists are getting together to set a new world record for getting an unmanned air/spacecraft to the
edge of space and recovering it back at the launch site much like the multi-billion dollar NASA space shuttle.
The Mission:
A weather balloon carrying an intelligent space glider will lift the craft to 100,000 ft. As the balloon reaches
apogee and the glider is released, taking a two hundred-mile glide to land back at the launch site. The mission
will take place in the absence of government funding and it is to be done on a shoestring budget. The vision of
the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of amateur unmanned space flight. The space glider will provide
photographs and video throughout the mission.
The Team:
Lawrence Feir Builder/Telemetry/Test Pilot
Jack Feir Chief Engineer
Meteorologist John Keitz
The Aircraft:
Designed and built by the team to meet the unique challenges of space and high speed unmanned flight.
Construction will be an all-composite airframe incorporating such exotic materials as Kevlar® and carbon fiber.
The craft must function both at the extreme high temperatures of the California desert as well as the
temperatures below minus 50 degrees it will encounter at altitude. The craft must be able to negotiate a wide
range of speed and demonstrate positive controllability. Initial calculations indicate the aircraft will remain
subsonic throughout the flight. We believe the aircraft will achieve mach .7 (7 tenths the speed of sound) during
it’s initial decent. Further into the flight the aircraft will slow to approximately 50 knots airspeed. Our aeronautical
engineer Jack Feir is currently working on the design of the aircraft. Some factors such as size and final weight
have yet to be determined. We will unveil the prototype shortly after the design has been finalized.
Telemetry and onboard equipment:
Once released from the balloon the craft will be guided by an onboard GPS that will bring it back to the launch
site.
Additional guidance and stability equipment will include several gyros, accelerometers, a digital compass
(magnetometer) and a small onboard computer as well as an autopilot.
VHF transmitter for tracking.
At least one onboard camera will take photographs throughout the mission. Live/recorded video is also being
considered.
Parachute deployment system. (used in the event of emergency decent as well as the final stage of the mission
where the chute is to deploy 500 ft over the launch site just prior to landing.)
Launch Balloon:
Standard issue meteorological latex sounding balloon (Kaymont or similar)
Size and volume as yet to be determined.
The Team:
Lawrence Feir, photographer working in the aerospace industry. Designer and builder of various machines
including several robots for televised robotic combat. Will be responsible for building the aircraft prototype, its
mechanical, electrical and photographic systems as well as testing and fabrication of the final airframe and
support equipment. Will also function as team leader as well as media liaison.
Jack Feir, president of Jack B Feir & Associates aviation consulting firm. Masters degree in aeronautical
engineering from University of Toronto. Former aerodynamicist with Boeing preliminary design group, senior
engineer and aerodynamics group leader with Fairchild-Hiller. Will be responsible for aircraft configuration
analysis and design.
John Keitz, president of BK Associates aviation consultants. Degrees in engineering physics and engineering
management, plus work towards PhD in meteorology. Former USAF weather officer. Helped develop and later
managed a computer flight planning service for airlines using upper air wind forecast for the North Atlantic to
compute optimum flight track routings.
edge of space and recovering it back at the launch site much like the multi-billion dollar NASA space shuttle.
The Mission:
A weather balloon carrying an intelligent space glider will lift the craft to 100,000 ft. As the balloon reaches
apogee and the glider is released, taking a two hundred-mile glide to land back at the launch site. The mission
will take place in the absence of government funding and it is to be done on a shoestring budget. The vision of
the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of amateur unmanned space flight. The space glider will provide
photographs and video throughout the mission.
The Team:
Lawrence Feir Builder/Telemetry/Test Pilot
Jack Feir Chief Engineer
Meteorologist John Keitz
The Aircraft:
Designed and built by the team to meet the unique challenges of space and high speed unmanned flight.
Construction will be an all-composite airframe incorporating such exotic materials as Kevlar® and carbon fiber.
The craft must function both at the extreme high temperatures of the California desert as well as the
temperatures below minus 50 degrees it will encounter at altitude. The craft must be able to negotiate a wide
range of speed and demonstrate positive controllability. Initial calculations indicate the aircraft will remain
subsonic throughout the flight. We believe the aircraft will achieve mach .7 (7 tenths the speed of sound) during
it’s initial decent. Further into the flight the aircraft will slow to approximately 50 knots airspeed. Our aeronautical
engineer Jack Feir is currently working on the design of the aircraft. Some factors such as size and final weight
have yet to be determined. We will unveil the prototype shortly after the design has been finalized.
Telemetry and onboard equipment:
Once released from the balloon the craft will be guided by an onboard GPS that will bring it back to the launch
site.
Additional guidance and stability equipment will include several gyros, accelerometers, a digital compass
(magnetometer) and a small onboard computer as well as an autopilot.
VHF transmitter for tracking.
At least one onboard camera will take photographs throughout the mission. Live/recorded video is also being
considered.
Parachute deployment system. (used in the event of emergency decent as well as the final stage of the mission
where the chute is to deploy 500 ft over the launch site just prior to landing.)
Launch Balloon:
Standard issue meteorological latex sounding balloon (Kaymont or similar)
Size and volume as yet to be determined.
The Team:
Lawrence Feir, photographer working in the aerospace industry. Designer and builder of various machines
including several robots for televised robotic combat. Will be responsible for building the aircraft prototype, its
mechanical, electrical and photographic systems as well as testing and fabrication of the final airframe and
support equipment. Will also function as team leader as well as media liaison.
Jack Feir, president of Jack B Feir & Associates aviation consulting firm. Masters degree in aeronautical
engineering from University of Toronto. Former aerodynamicist with Boeing preliminary design group, senior
engineer and aerodynamics group leader with Fairchild-Hiller. Will be responsible for aircraft configuration
analysis and design.
John Keitz, president of BK Associates aviation consultants. Degrees in engineering physics and engineering
management, plus work towards PhD in meteorology. Former USAF weather officer. Helped develop and later
managed a computer flight planning service for airlines using upper air wind forecast for the North Atlantic to
compute optimum flight track routings.
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