FGE Touchdown

FGE Touchdown

The Flare Genesis Experiment payload returns to the ground.

The payload was stowed and powered off by "over-the-horizon" command at 1996-01-24 21:30UT. Three people from NSBF, one from ASA, and Graham Murphy, flew in an LC-130(#04) to the vicinity of the balloon. At 1996-01-26 03:14UT, the command was sent to terminate. This should set in motion the following sequence:

1. Separation of the load bearing joint between the balloon and the parachute.
2. Ripping apart the balloon down its side using a rip line connected to the parachute.
3. Separation of the rip line from the parachute.
4. Deployment of the parachute, once it "feels" enough air.
5. Descent.
6. Touchdown.
7. Separation of the payload and parachute, at the command of NSBF.

All stages of this process were accomplished without problem. The balloon took about a half hour to float down to "earth", and just moments after hitting the ice, the parachute was separated. While not obvious in this photograph, the gondola toppled onto its back with minimal damage to the solar panels. According to the GPS receiver on the LC-130, the gondola's final position was:

	S69d 03.6886m  E141d 29.354m

This was the last good view of the gondola. Soon after it landed, everyone was told to strap in for a landing attempt. This involved two touch-and-goes, dragging just the rear skiis across the surface, and then seeing what impact (if any) had been made. Unfortunately, the landing area was composed of hard sastrugi: wind-sculptured ice, between one and four feet high, and capable of destroying the LC-130's skiis. This meant that no landing could be made by the LC-130 and recovery of the gondola would have to be made some other way.

The following day, the National Science Foundation Antarctic command declared that it would be too difficult and risky to recover the whole payload so close to the season close-out (February 21). Plan B was to send out a light aircraft, a twin otter, to bring back just the two tape drives. Weather and logistics meant that even this operation was almost cancelled, but luckily, the twin otter was able to reach the payload at about 1996-Jan-31 02:00UT.

The pressure vessels holding the tape drives were extracted, and were returned to JHU/APL. Condition of the payload is believed to be very good - in particular, the primary mirror survived descent and landing.

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