Conditions at Black Rock?

[rocketscale]

I'm planning on flying a project Sept 14-16 at XPRS that will require shipping in advance. Has anyone heard any specific updates on "wet" conditions on the Playa?
I realize there will be an Aug 1 announcement re BALLS.

 

[tfish]

How high is your project going? See below....

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Reno military says they are having some training during ARLISS/XPRS so we can only go to 60,000 during that launch.
Maybe they will do a fly-by or something.

Jim Green
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Tony Alcocer

 

[rocketscale]

Thanks for info on the ceiling, that will take some fun from the "watching" portion but no problem for my flight which should be about 20m.
I'll keep watching for input on "wet" conditions.

Wayne

 

[Wayco]

There is an ongoing conversation about the shrinking lake and satellite pictures on this thread:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?141114-BALLS-26-September-22-24-2017

 

[M2Rocketry]

I will be running a recon of the playa next weekend headed to the actual BALLS launch site and perimeter. I think everyone is over reacting. We have been dry for the last month and the temps have been in the middle high 90s with several days of triple digits. Speaking with Gerald today I would say the worst case is a lower standing waiver with the launch site being moved closer to what it used to be. You can thank the Carmack prize team that landed outside the waiver for the FAA and BLM pushing us farther north east for the last few years. I see know issues other than being near the Quinne River sink and that the ground may be saturated causing issues with heavier vehicles.

 

[rocketscale]

THANK YOU M2, I feel better.

 

[woferry]

The daily satellite shots (link from the other thread here) clearly shows that things are drying out quickly. A week or so ago it split into two lakes, a more circular 'body' and a long 'tail'. Within a few days the tail vanished, and the body is rapidly shrinking as well. Seems to me like it'll be gone within a few days at the rate it's going, and then it's probably a matter of how long the ground takes to dry to its usual self, but with how dry it tends to be out there I'd suspect that happens pretty quickly also. Though I guess if the darker areas in the photo are still wet soil maybe it does take a while to totally dry.

7/22:

 

[JimJarvis50]

I will be running a recon of the playa next weekend headed to the actual BALLS launch site and perimeter. I think everyone is over reacting. We have been dry for the last month and the temps have been in the middle high 90s with several days of triple digits. Speaking with Gerald today I would say the worst case is a lower standing waiver with the launch site being moved closer to what it used to be. You can thank the Carmack prize team that landed outside the waiver for the FAA and BLM pushing us farther north east for the last few years. I see know issues other than being near the Quinne River sink and that the ground may be saturated causing issues with heavier vehicles.

I wish you good travels! Hopefully, you can get to somewhere near the center of operations. I need 160K and it isn't all that easy to bring that down (intentionally that is). Thanks for checking it out.

Jim

 

[MClark]

I wish you good travels! Hopefully, you can get to somewhere near the center of operations. I need 160K and it isn't all that easy to bring that down (intentionally that is). Thanks for checking it out.

Jim

Jim- just drop it on top of the mountain like before, no mud there!

Mark

 

[JimJarvis50]

Jim- just drop it on top of the mountain like before, no mud there!

Mark

I would welcome the opportunity to land on a mountain, but having done it twice now, a nice flat spot would be great.

Looks to me like the visible lake is pretty much gone. Still 8 weeks out. Hopefully, we'll get a promising report.

Jim

 

[MClark]

Original plan was for the powers at Tripoli Gerlach to make the call tomorrow, August 1, but I think it may be put off a couple of days for the report from the AEROPAC launch.
In the picture I believe the BALLS launch site is right in the middle of the gray band.

M

 

[tfish]

here's the above "wet" photo layered on to Google Earth...

Tony

 

[Steve Shannon]

Original plan was for the powers at Tripoli Gerlach to make the call tomorrow, August 1, but I think it may be put off a couple of days for the report from the AEROPAC launch.
In the picture I believe the BALLS launch site is right in the middle of the gray band.

M

Tuesday, rather than tomorrow (Sunday) is August 1st. Tom Blazanin said that he will have some kind of message on the Tripoli Gerlach site that day, but as you say the report from Aeropac will be more revealing.


Steve Shannon

 

[MClark]

February doesn't come just before August?
This isn't a leap year.
I don't know how I got it stuck in my head Sunday was the first.

M

 

[Steve Shannon]

February doesn't come just before August?
This isn't a leap year.
I don't know how I got it stuck in my head Sunday was the first.

M

It is the first day of the week.


Steve Shannon

 

[M2Rocketry]

Well BM is moving forward with their plans and BLM is approving it. We have seen some rain here but mostly insignificant amounts. Theres a group going out for the meteor shower on the weekend of the 12th. I was told to hold short on the recon because of the Aeropac launch. I will be out there to the actual coordinates that Gerald gave me sometime between the Aeronaut launch and the actual BM arrival. I will not venture out any where near the arrival dates of participants as it turns into a horror show and can take 4 hrs to get near the playa. BLM has also allowed the restricted access of 12mi this year meaning it will require heading up the east side road and using the Frog Pond RR access and east road which takes longer.