Working at The Edge of Space

Working at the edge of space - Elite Composites are extremely pleased to be a chosen manufacturer of lightweight carbon fibre mouldings for this amazing attempt at the high altitude ballooning record

During the summer months of 2003 two British balloon pilots, Andy Elson and Colin Prescot attempted to break the high altitude balooning record in Qinetiq 1, the largest manned helium balloon in history.

Andy and Colin will be attempting to beat a record that was set by two US navy pilots way back in 1961. Those two pioneering American aviators took off on May 4th from the deck of an aircraft carrier and ascended to an altitude of 113,740 ft (34,668m).

With their sights set even higher Andy and Colin will be dressed in spacesuits designed by Zvezda, the Russian space experts, in an attempt to climb to a staggering 132,000 ft (40,234m) the very "edge of space".

The Platform
The two pilots will be seated in carbon fibre seats on an open deck and there will be nothing other than their suits between them and the elements for the duration of the flight (an estimated 12 hours). To date the longest any astronaut or cosmonaut has been outside a pressurised capsule is about 8 hours. Andy and Colin will effectively be making a "space walk" that will be the longest in history.

The Balloon
The helium balloon itself will be made from polyethylene, which is a material similar to that used in the manufacture of household freezer bags. It is anticipated that it will be 400 times bigger than the size of a typical hot air balloon, and seven times higher than Nelsons column.

The Launch
The success of the launch is hugely weather dependent and the monitoring of our very unpredictable weather system is absolutely vital. The attempt will probably take place between July and September when the winds above 80,000ft are slightly more predictable. No exact date can be given, and Andy and Colin will get just 72 hours notice of the Launch date.The Qinetiq 1 team will be liasing closely with the Met Office, who will be providing 72-hour forecasts in order to identify the perfect day.

Up Up and Away
Once the "all clear" has been given, preparations for the flight, which has a maximum duration of 12 hours, will begin at dawn with the two-hour inflation of the balloon. The balloon will then take off into clear skies and ascend to its peak altitude of 132,000ft, which is anticipated to take approximately 5 to 6 hours. Andy and Colin will remain at altitude for about 1 hour during which time they will conduct several experiments. To begin the descent, the pilots will open a valve at the top of the balloon and slowly release helium, which will reduce the balloons lift. The descent should take about two hours and will end in the sea, from where the pilots will be picked up by boat.

Elite Composites wish Andy, Colin and all the support team every success in their record attempt.

Read more about the carbon fibre mouldings used in the Edge of Space venture.

Elite Composites
Unit 1
Lower Hoddern Farm
Peacehaven (Near Brighton)
East Sussex
BN10 8AP
UK

+44(0)1273 586999
info@elite-composites.co.uk