Dream big and fly high

Technology is great, but the High Altitude Photography Platform is all about capturing spectacular art from the top of the world. To do that we need to fly! Here are some videos from various missions including early test flights.

PAST mission: HAPP-M1
28 MAY 2018

M1 was the first free-flight mission and first attempt to reach the target altitude of 30 Km / 100,000 ft. The mission was flown on May 28 at 09:45 EDT. We launched in northern Ohio and recovered the HAPP about 15 km / 9 miles downrange. We exceeded 22 Km, got amazing video footage, and found many small improvements for the next mission. Follow HAPP Research on YouTube for future flights and 360 footage.

past mission: HAPP-T3
6 may 2018

This was the final test prior to a free-flight mission. T3 remained tethered to the ground and ascended over 100 meters. The objective was to confirm full system functionality including the ELS (parachutes) and ground operation procedures. Due to winds being much higher than forecasted, the drop test was abandoned and we were not able to collect data about aerodynamic stability. Overall the test was successful and the onboard camera footage looks good! See the blog post for details →

PAST Mission: Happ-t2
20 DECEMBER 2017

This was the first time the HAPP flew. The objective was to ascend to 500 meters on a ground tether and confirm full system functionality. It was supposed to be our only flight test. Due to a software configuration error, the flight automatically terminated at 5 meters. However, we confirmed all systems except the ELS (parachutes), and captured all test data except aerodynamic properties during a longer free-fall. See the blog post for details →

PAST Mission: Happ-t1
14 december 2017

The objective was to demonstrate full-stack operation of the telemetry system and the two-way data path to a mobile phone. The HAPP core was extracted from the aeroshell and placed outside running solely on internal power as it cycled through the automatic preflight sequence and released itself for flight. The mission was a success and at this point we were ready to fly. See the blog post for details →

PAST Mission: HAPP-T0
21 august 2017

Admittedly this has little to do with flying, but it does showcase some unique photography of the sky during a total solar eclipse. This 4K time lapse video runs at 450X speed and compresses a 3-hour event into less than 30 seconds. It provided an opportunity to test the HAPP's secondary cameras and master 4K video workflow for capture and editing, which the HAPP will require. See the blog post for details →