This week was the final week before our launch, and everyone was scrambling to finish their design and development tasks! Team Video printed a new model for the GoPro Camera rig, and tested it with five video cameras (four pointing out and one pointing down). Team Printing worked on finishing their 3D-printed torches, including painting a unique design of their own creation. Team Tracking worked with the NWS to predict possible landing spots based on when and where we launch, in order to pick the best launch date. Team Mechies worked to streamline the payload design to reduce the total payload weight down to two kilograms (all inclusive). And Team Social worked on ramping up our outreach efforts to invite people to our launch party. The College of Communication and Information published a news story on our project, and we presented at Digitech on March 30.
While we had originally planned to launch the torch on Saturday, April 2, a line of severe storms swept through on Friday, April 1 in the evening, causing us to postpone our launch until after the weather cleared and the high altitude winds died down. Sunday, April 3, was a beautiful day in Tallahassee, but the jet stream was located immediately above us and going at 145mph due East, risking our payload ending up in the Atlantic Ocean. In order to maximize our chance for success, we decided to delay our launch until Monday, April 4, with a projected landing spot near Lake City, halfway between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.