We design, build & flight-test simple, low-cost space suits for the benefit of humanity. Not a business. Goal=65,000 ft. Fueled by Aviator's Breathing Oxygen.
Portland, Oregon
Joined October 2013
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Recent suit testing at UCSD--back at UC Berkeley late May to lecture and some interesting meetings. Busy times! With G. Gekas and E. Bethke, thanks fellas! Flying resumes in July :)
Working away at Santa's Workshop :) Several suits underway for 2024, and two flying expeditions planned, as well as weekly eval of flying conditions for shorter trips. Ballooning needs perfect conditions, large team, and funds, tough to always get all three on a good wx wknd!
After lots of suit demos and tests this last quarter of the year, now home and back to FLYING! Start altitude flight attempts mid-November :) Photo: early pressurized suit balloon flight in 2018!
Good 2nd test of the NBL suit. One more test, then verification testing 2024 at U Az, Groton Ct, and a NASA facility offshore Florida. Suit checks out so far, achieving neutral- and just-negative buoyancy as needed. CO2 & suit temp numbers all well :)
NBL suit now has a coverall :) Further pool testing slated for late Oct in Groton, CT, U Az and then Florida!
Good 'wet' test of an NBL training suit I have built since Feb this year. Just needs tweaks on ballasting. All well! Still checking out video.
Well just one more pre-splash test :) All well! L and R sleeves, wrist assemblies and gloves are built slightly different so that I can evaluate each approach at the same time. All well!
Good landing the other day, good work by copilot Juliet McGraw, you can see she hauled on a deflation line just as instructed just at the moment of landing. Music - Javier Molina, 'Cowboy Cumbia'
Pleased to take up another of the long-serving PS crew! Juliet M has been with us for several yrs & had a much-deserved good flight over Albany, OR! Great day, crew and comms. All well!
Good team-building adventure, climbing in the Columbia R. Gorge with my balloon copilots! Marvelous fresh air and several hours roped climbing & scrambling. All well! Team members learn about ropes, knots, risk management, good decision-making...all applicable to balloon flying!
Contrary winds prevented flight both Sat and Sun. We keep going!! We need very specific winds at ground level, and aloft, for altitude flights. We keep going! Thanks, crew!
Conditions looking good for a pressurized suit flight to FL150 in Central OR this coming weekend, in our beautiful research balloon, 'Skylab'!
