Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Bought the fishing line, and mooring info



220 feet of it with a 30lb stress rating. Will be purchasing tiny metal mooring connectors tomorrow that will allow the habitat to rotate in the wind without twisting the line.

Also I came to a pretty obvious realization that unless it's a remarkably still day when I launch this balloon, it will never be directly overhead and the line will always be at an angle. So if I moor it the way I was planning to the entire habitat would be angled, creating an awkward situation for the occupants trying to navigate the interior.





The solution is to have the habitat hanging independently on its own line. Even if the balloon is directly overhead, provided a long enough line the habitat should hang more or less level. And assuming it is always at (at least a slight) angle from the weight holding the line down, this solution is much better and will keep the habitat level regardless of the balloon's movement.

9 comments:

  1. Question: is there any air exchange with outside? If not, won't the brave hamstronauts get roasted during the day? There do not appear to be any holes in the module and there are no shielded places with comfy shadows to linger about in.
    Addendum 1: Do you have an emergency protocol if the balloon pops?
    Addendum 2: Temperatures in higher layers of atmosphere are different than near the surface, are you taking it into consideration?

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  2. 1. There is air exchange.
    2. They will only be going about 200 feet up due to FAA restrictions on private tethered balloons.
    3. The balloon has a lifting capacity of 7 pounds when full. The fully loaded hab is just under 2 pounds. I can incompletely fill the balloon, still achieve enough lift and guarantee it won't unexpectedly pop.

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    Replies
    1. Damn, that was fast. Still, a parachute "just in case" would be a magnificent addition to this project. How are such balloons with birds? The precise nature of avian-rodent interactions is quite set to a predatory one on earth's surface, but I wonder how it will play out in the skies. Also, what would be the space stations' name? Can't wait to see it in action, godspeed to you and your furry little American heroes.

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    2. Crap, forgot to add: what do you think about adding an accesible ring around the whole habitat, like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_torus. AND THEN YOU COULD ADD MORE LIVING AREAS TO IT AND ANOTHER RING TO THESE AREAS AND SO ON. LIKE, RINGS ON RINGS AND SHIT. Hamster dominion over the skies have never seemed so awesome before.

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  3. I don't think a parachute would work, realistically. Not sure how it'd open. I will probably add one anyway just to say I did, as the people following these projects don't usually take no for an answer.

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    1. Train the hamsters to pull the cord when falling. Or make them evolve to fly. Or feed them radioactive waste in vein hopes of them developing gravity-neutralizing powers. SCIENCE COMING THROUGH

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  4. Wait, won't they still be bashed back and forth by the wind when they're up there?

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  5. If I send it up in a hurricane or something maybe. I intend to send it up on a calm day though, The balloon will move around but gradually enough that because the habitat dangles under it, the hamsters' living space always remains upright.

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  6. You said before that the balloon can lift the whole structure even if not full. Couldn't you just pump a bit more helium and add some ballast at the bottom of the habitat? Like an aerodynamically shaped lump of led. It should help stabilize the whole mobile.

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