• What is Project HALO
• News and Calendar
• Tube Launch 1 (TL1)

• Ground Launch 1 (GL1)
• Sky Launch 1 (SL1)
• Sky Launch 2 (SL2)

On June 20, 1998, the Huntsville Alabama L5 Society chapter of the National Space Society attempted its first mission for Phase 2 of Project HALO (High Altitude Lift-Off -- with Project HALO Sky Launch 2. A heroic effort to reach space on June 20, 1998!

HAL5 attempted its first launch of a larger, more powerful, hybrid rocket on Saturday, June 20, 1998, in the first of two planned joint missions with the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Despite a heroic effort by the team at sea and on shore, the mission ended with a launch failure. First the avionics canister (the white and gray striped can just below in the red nozzle in the photo above left) at the end new launch rod, and later the video downlink antenna, got snagged on the wooden rocket cradle (see above left), as the released balloon (see above center) climbed straight up into the sky. The jolts from the double snagging threw the rocket off the foot-long pin on the launch rod, sending it careening onto the deck of the at-sea barge (see above right), on loan from NASA. The barge suffered absolutely no damage from this minor impact. Fortunately, no one was injured -- the rocket oxidizer tank did not even leak -- and the avionics/payload canister survived intact and was working fine even after the impact with the deck!

The propulsion section of the rocket got banged up a bit but was later deemed to be refliable with new valving. One of three rocket fins was damaged beyond repair. A similar-sized rocket fin was later purchased from HARC, who had one leftover from its CATS-Prize attempt. The rocket avionics/payload canister is in fine shape and ready to fly. The balloon avionics canister, however, landed in the Gulf of Mexico, and was totally corroded by exposure to salt water. The HALO team still hopes to fly the SL-2 rocket at some point in the future, although perhaps with a different launch method (e.g., gondola) than the launch rod.

When and Where

Dates:
• Huntsville-based packing was held on Tuesday evening, June 16, 1998
  
• NASA truck loading and drive to Louisiana all day Wednesday, June 17, 1998
  
• Setup on the NASA barge in Louisiana all day Thursday, June 18, 1998
  
• Sail into the Gulf of Mexico on NASA barge all day Friday, June 19, 1998
  
• Press Site (on Alabama coast) setup all day Friday, June 19, 1998
  
• Final preparations and launch attempt on Saturday, June 20, 1998
  
• Sail back to Louisiana, drive back to Huntsville all day Sunday, June 21, 1998

Times:
• Launch operations began early Saturday about 3:00 a.m. EDT
  
• Squall line strikes barge early Saturday about 4:00 a.m. EDT
  
• Media operations began Saturday morning about 6:00 a.m. EDT
  
• Press Site notified by barge of launch delay at 8:07 a.m. EDT
  
• Balloon launch occurred just before the 11:00 a.m. EDT deadline
  
• Rocket "launch" occurred seconds later, sans smoke and fire
  
• Balloon popped at altitude and splashed down around 1:00 p.m. EDT
  
• Press Site notified by barge of launch failure at 1:18 p.m. EDT

Where:
• Launch operations on NASA barge in Gulf of Mexico, 40 miles off Louisiana coast
  
• Media operations and shore-based tracking at the Sea Lab on Dauphin Island, Alabama.

Purpose of Project HALO

The purpose of Project HALO is to make access to space more affordable for students, amateurs, experimenters, and researchers. It is combination technical and educational program. The program is divided into several phases. All phases have opportunities for student involvement at all grade levels.

• Phase 0 was for developing rocket subsystems and testing them on the ground and at high altitude.
• Phase 1 is to build the rocket and successfully launch it from a balloon.
• Phase 2 will be to develop the operational capability for inexpensive and routine access to space using rockoons.

See the Project HALO Home Page for more details.

Goals of HALO Sky Launch 2

Project HALO Sky Launch 2 marks the first major milestone for Project HALO Phase 2, Operational Rockoons. As such, this launch attempt represents the first test for Project HALO to provide a capability for launching student payloads.

• Primary Goals of HALO Sky Launch 2
  • Launch the balloon without damaging the balloon, gondola, or rocket
  • Maintain the temperature inside the oxidizer tank to high altitude
  • Successfully launch the rocket from the balloon by command uplink
  • Successfully track the balloon gondola throughout its flight, as feasible
  • Successfully track the rocket throughout its flight, as feasible
  • Verify computer predictions using data transmitted from rocket
  • Have the rocket exceed an altitude of 50 nautical miles (nmi)
    (USA-defined "space" recognized by NASA/USAF/industry = 92.6 km = 57.5 mi)
  
  
• Benefits of Meeting Primary Goals
  • Gain confidence to proceed onto Project HALO Phase 2b
  • Have another success from which to approach potential donors and clients
  
  
• Honors for Exceeding the 50 Nautical Mile Mark
  • First amateur group to get their own rocket into space (per U.S. convention)
  • First group (amateur or professional) to get a hybrid rocket into space (per U.S. convention)

• Secondary Goals of HALO Sky Launch 2
  • Have the rocket exceed an altitude of 100 kilometers (km)
    (IAF-defined "space" recognized internationally = 54.0 nmi = 62.1 mi)
  • Recover the rocket, whether or not it fires
  • Recover the balloon gondola, especially if it is bringing back the rocket
  • Recover rocket electronics and payload intact
  
  
• Benefits of Meeting Secondary Goals
  • Have another success from which to approach potential donors and clients
  • Can place the recovered rocket in a museum (how about the Air & Space?)
  • Can inspect recovered rocket and/or gondola for damage
  • Can recover valuable electronics for future reuse
  • Can deliver recovered student payload back to provider
  • Can recover "space-qualified" HAL5 membership cards
  
  
• Honors of Meeting Secondary Goals
  • First amateur group to get their own rocket into space (per IAF convention)
  • First group (amateur or professional) to get a hybrid rocket into space (per IAF convention)
  • First amateur rocket recovered from space
  • First payload carried into space by an amateur rocket
  • First payload recovered from an amateur rocket launched into space
  • First organization with truly "space-qualified" membership cards

• Potential Records from Getting into Space
  • Highest altitude achieved by an amateur rocket (by any means)
  • Highest altitude achieved by an amateur rocket launched from a balloon (rockoon)
  • Highest altitude achieved by an hybrid-motor rocket (any organization)
  • Highest altitude achieved by an amateur hybrid-motor rocket
  • Least expensive rocket-to-space program, start to first flight -- (less than $ TBD)
  • Least expensive rocket space mission, manufacturing and operations -- (less than $ TBD)

Technical Details

Reports and Press Releases

• 1998-Jun-20 --- First Attempt --- balloon launch mishap (rocket recovered)
  • Pre-Attempt HAL5 Press Release
  • Article (Part 1) by Greg Allison -- HALO Program Manager
  • Article (Part 2) by Greg Allison -- HALO Program Manager
  • Article by Gene Young -- Electronic Systems Lead
  • Article by Tim Pickens -- Rocket Systems Lead
  • Article by Ronnie Lajoie -- SL-2 Press Site Manager
  • Article on Gondola Recovery

Modified from original version for the web.