Hold on to your hats: LOHAN'S PRATCHETT mission launch imminent

Our US allies at Edge Research Laboratory are as we speak on the ground at Colorado Springs East Airport preparing for the imminent launch of the Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) PRATCHETT mission. Lift-off is scheduled for around 13:30 Mountain Daylight Time (19:30 GMT), and all being well, you should be able to …

[Anonymous Coward]

Did the FAA ever give their blessing to the LOHAN mission??

Or are the inner workings of the black box of federal regulation still utterly unknowable, except for the occasional klunk, bang or whirr emenating from within?

[Mark 85]

Re: Did the FAA ever give their blessing to the LOHAN mission??

I'd say it's not even a klunk, bang, or whirr, but more like something not pleasant oozing out from under the FAA door. I find it outrageous that they're taking so long on this.

Then again, they can say their computers were hacked and the paperwork isn't in the system.

Anyway, here's hoping that this test goes well.

[Mike Manes]

A day late & a dollar short ..

Sorry I missed the live flight on 6/14 -- just got El Reg announcement this AM.

BTW, the Edge guys don't seem to have learned the "hail mary" windy launch technique

that's been quite effective for EOSS (and NASA) for decades. Just line up the payload string

downwind from the the balloon, with a handler on each package, each instructed

to move to put their payload directly under the ascending balloon. When all hands show

ready, count down from 3 and let the balloon go.