The GAPS prototype flight was a huge success and the results are published: P. von Doetinchem, T. Aramaki, N. Bando, et al. The flight of the GAPS prototype experiment ASTROPART […]
Continue reading »Category: pGAPS
pGAPS balloon flight from Taiki
This is a time lapse movie taken with a point-and-shoot digital camera mounted to the frame of the payload during the pGAPS flight on June 3rd. 2012 in Taiki, Japan.
Continue reading »Launch day
The final launch preparations started at 10pm. The detectors were driven cold using the ground cooling approach with Nitrogen. During this period check-out tests with X-ray tube and atmospheric muons […]
Continue reading »Final launch preparations
pGAPS team before the launch: front row (left to right): T. Aramaki, C. Hailey, H. Fuke, D. Stefanik, Nakamura, N. Bando back row (left to right): I. Mognet, K. Perez, […]
Continue reading »Outdoor tests
View of the launch base at sunset: The left side shows the hangar where the balloon will be filled and the right side shows the operation building with the payload […]
Continue reading »Testing in Taiki
The experiment also survived the next trip by truck to Japan’s most northern island Hokkaido without problems. The Taiki base is in operation for balloon flights since 2008 and is […]
Continue reading »Thermal vacuum test
The ballooning group has a large “dirty” thermal vacuum chamber for balloon payloads. pGAPS fitted perfectly and we had a full day of testing. The goal was to mimic the […]
Continue reading »Unpacking at ISAS in Sagamihara, Japan
The payload arrived safely in Japan. All components were in good shape and we set up in the balloon rigging high bay for the initial check-out tests.
Continue reading »Prototype is on the way to Japan
Our GAPS prototype is on its way to Japan. We will unpack on May 9th in the lab of our Japanese collaborators at ISAS.
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