Stratofox Tracking

Stratofox Aerospace Tracking & Recovery Team - volunteer non-profit group assists with search and retrieval of high-altitude rockets and balloons

[Iain Finer @fineri]

I have this on my shelf, a great read for any rocket enthusiast!

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

When Eric was working on his book, we compared notes of who participated on CSXT and @Stratofox_Team to make sure every volunteer was given credit at least by name. It was excellent detail and a shining light as the right way to treat our hard-working volunteers. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

Eric Knight @i_eric wrote a book in 2010 "The New Race to Space" about CSXT's effort to launch the first amateur rocket to space: 2000 & 2002 attempts and 2004 success. Out of print now but maybe we can convince him to re-release it as an ebook. https://t.co/5V0l65zxUk #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

15 years ago: CSXT (Civilian Space eXploration Team) rocket succeeded in first amateur/all-volunteer space launch to 72mi/116km altitude at Black Rock NV. I led @Stratofox_Team #HamRadio search crew which recovered it 18 miles from launch site. https://t.co/pVOap2IYtK #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

A serious detective effort led to a renewed search for the booster in Summer 2004. We had searched 1/2 mile away when US BLM told us where they saw it from an aircraft. My truck again got to be first to carry the other part of the spacecraft. https://t.co/DGnEOIFSv3 #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

It took 6 months to find the booster from the CSXT rocket. We figured out that it had lost its beacon on its way down. Since that was in the parachute line, we assumed the worst. But analysis of re-entry boom recording showed parachute still on when it went subsonic. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

Long-needed celebration back at Bruno's (only restaurant in town) in Gerlach. Eric Knight @i_eric and his Avionics Team finally got to see their now-space-flown hardware. They downloaded the data from the flight computer. Others retrieved memorabilia from the nose cone. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

Then something I didn't expect... They told me, "Ian, go get your truck!" My @Stratofox_Team teammates had told CSXT that it had been my dream to drive the first amateur space rocket back whenever it succeeded. They granted my wish - got the 1st mile. Then Jerry's turn. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

We brought the CSXT nose/avionics section back to the 4x4 trail where we were met by CSXT's founder and leader Ky Michaelson. We had a spontaneous ceremony of "presenting the spacecraft to Ky." And after that it was referred to as "the spacecraft". #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

Jeremy reported that the nose/payload/avionics section of the CSXT Space Shot 2004 rocket was found intact. The parachute which had served as its re-entry drag device still looked almost new. It successfully decelerated at high altitude to avoid re-entry heating issues. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

Jeremy's team came into view way up slope from us. Jeremy said on radio, "Please clear the channel for an announcement..." and waited for CSXT team to relay around terrain to Gerlach where @i_eric and his Avionics Team were monitoring. We knew this had to be good news. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

That was May 17, 2004. The search for the CSXT rocket resumed next morning, May 18. We had 2 #HamRadio 220MHz receivers & directional antennas so I assigned 2 search teams. Steve Palmer KA6DHU led from lower start point; Jeremy Cooper KE6JJJ led from higher start point. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

It was somewhere up there. We were delayed by rescuing 2 civilians who overheard the helicopter pilot's coordinates, raced to find it and broke down. I made the call to pull all our volunteers off the mountain while we had daylight to search if anyone hadn't checked in. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

Then it was up to us at @Stratofox_Team to find the rocket, if it could be found. Radio signal was bouncing off several mountains and we had to weed out which signals were reflections. Camera resolution wasn't good enough to see but it was on Red Mtn in last pic here. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

First effort to find CSXT rocket was by Robinson R44 helicopter chartered by CSXT. They received beacon but couldn't narrow down a location in turbulence downwind of mountains to the west. Pilot returned for safety reasons with coordinates of strongest signal. #NewSpace #aviation

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

@Stratofox_Team Making the CSXT rocket search more difficult, there was no data, which would have given us its GPS coordinates. We later learned that antenna burned off on the way up. We were still able to search for non-data beacon using radio direction-finding handheld antennas. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

We at @Stratofox_Team had explored the Black Rock Range north of the launch site near the re-entry aim point in preparation. But the launch rail broke. When I saw the rocket arc off west, I knew it was way off course. I quietly thought, “We are never going to find it…” #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

At that point, Jerry Larson picked up countdown at T-60 seconds. I handed off the microphone and ran with my camera & tripod from my truck up to the front of the flight line, ready when the count reached T-10 seconds. I got the picture shown above in this thread. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

When the railroad pickup truck started heading back to Gerlach (probably for lunch), FAA AST regulators on site gave us permission to call it OK when they were abeam the launch site headed to town. When they did, I called on launch net: “Range Safety is GO for launch”. #NewSpace

[Ian Kluft ✈️🎈🌋 @[email protected] @ikluft]

Hazards abound when launching a rocket, even on a suborbital space flight. I delayed the launch 12 minutes with “Range Safety is no-go” because of railroad workers who entered the downrange safety zone. We had #HamRadio observers watching the railroad. #NewSpace