layout: default
title: Octanis 1 Weather Balloon Launch
teaser:  The date has been selected! On Thursday, March 31st 2016, 13h30 CEST, Octanis will launch a weather balloon next to EPFL campus. Join the spectacle and be there at 13h already to see the preparations! 
cta: '<a class="btn btn--large btn--default cta" href="/balloon-live">Track the balloon</a> (Chrome / FF only)<br />'

---

<div id="pagebg">
	  <img data-stellar-ratio="2" src="{{ site.baseurl }}/img/balloonbg.jpg" alt="">
</div>

<div class="grid padded bg-gradient">
	<div class="grid__item sm-w-1/1">

	</div>
</div>

<div class="grid padded bg-darker">

		<div class="grid__item sm-w-1/1 pdg">
			<h1>Why launch a balloon?</h1>

			<p>
				The Octanis 1 Rover will eventually go to some very cold places. This is for example why we need special batteries that can bear temperatures down to -50°C. But also all the electronic parts need to be working at this kind of conditions, as energy is limited and cannot be wasted on heating the rover. Therefore all components we use are rated to still operate at -40°C or lower.
			</p>
			<p>
				For testing this temperature limit in a real scenario, we will pack all our electronic boards on a weather balloon and let it rise to about 30 km of altitude. Along with that, we will be able to collect a big amount of sensor data and test the reliability of the LoRa communication link. GPS information, which will be transmitted over a backup GSM connection, will enable us to find the payload again in order to recover the data and hardware.
			</p>
			<p>
				Learn more about the launch on our <a href="http://wiki.octanis.org/octanis1_easterballoon" target="_blank">Wiki</a>
			</p>
		</div>

		<div class="grid__item sm-w-1/2 pdg text-center">
			<h2>Launch Date</h2>
			<img src="{{ site.baseurl }}/img/balloon_date.png" class="img-block pdg++">
			<p class="oc-value-text">We will launch the balloon on Thursday, March 31st 2016, at 13h30. Join us a bit earlier to see the preparations and so you don't miss the start! We will simulate the possible trajectory right before the start again and depending on that, we might reschedule the launch. But until now, all the predictions are looking good.</a></p>
		</div>

		<div class="grid__item sm-w-1/2 pdg text-center">
			<h2>Launch Site</h2>

			<img src="{{ site.baseurl }}/img/balloon_map.png" class="img-block pdg++">
			<p class="oc-value-text">The launch site will be just a 5 minutes walk away from EPFL campus, at the <a href="https://encrypted.google.com/maps/dir//Zone+de+D%C3%A9tente+et+de+Sport+du+Russel,+Avenue+du+L%C3%A9man,+1025+Saint-Sulpice,+Switzerland/@46.5148674,6.5637735,15.82z/data=!4m13!1m4!3m3!1s0x478c30fa5c7d66c1:0x66a15d1e79ecdb40!2sZone+de+D%C3%A9tente+et+de+Sport+du+Russel,+Avenue+du+L%C3%A9man,+1025+Saint-Sulpice,+Switzerland!3b1!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x478c30fa5c7d66c1:0x66a15d1e79ecdb40!2m2!1d6.5630455!2d46.5129633" target="_blank">Parc du Russel in Saint-Sulpice</a>. This was necessary because it is the law to be 5 km away from the next airport, which happens to be the "Aéroport de Blecherette" in Lausanne.</p>
		</div>


	</div>


