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Is JP Aerospace still active? — Parallax Forums

Is JP Aerospace still active?

Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,190
edited 2011-01-31 14:02 in General Discussion
Hello!
I've been active for a while, as all of you know with the stamps. And I've got one or two, to six or more ideas. Some of them could be candidates for the things that JP Aerospace has in mind.

However it seems that their site http://www.jpaerospace.com/ seems to have been not updated since 2007.

One of them seems to be an interesting idea. It shows a small solar cell attached to a ping-pong ball. Naturally its insides have not been explained.

Has Parallax been contacted by the fellow behind the site to assure them that it is indeed an active one?

Comments

  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-01-24 21:28
    Click on their link for their blog.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-01-24 22:18
    Hey Buck Rogers, though I haven't seen Jon Powell in a while I think they are active as ever according to their blog. They've been to Parallax many times and we've donated hundreds of products to them through the past 15 years. Jon isn't the kind of guy who gives up easily, and although he hasn't been to our office in a while I'm sure he's still in pursuit of the mission. Last time I spoke with him they were considering lifting Jon into near-space using a dirigible. It was such a unique idea it stuck in my mind with some clarity.

    Contact him via e-mail at jpowell@jpaerospace.com.

    - Ken Gracey
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2011-01-24 22:29
    Ken,
    ...he hasn't been to our office in a while....
    and:
    Last time I spoke with him they were considering lifting Jon into near-space using a dirigible.

    I do hope those two statements aren't related in bad way.

    Whoever it is you are talking about sounds quite audacious.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-01-24 22:35
    Heater. wrote: »
    Ken,


    and:


    I do hope those two statements aren't related in bad way.

    Whoever it is you are talking about sounds quite audacious.

    Absolutely. He's a space pioneer, Heater.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2011-01-24 22:40
    Wow yes, I've just been checking the blog there.

    Did you ever have the heart to tell him that "propellers don't work in space".

    Sorry, bad joke:)

    I have to keep an eye on their progress, fascinating.
  • HumanoidoHumanoido Posts: 5,770
    edited 2011-01-25 05:08
    These space pioneers are absolutely fantastic in the knowledge and information they contribute to the world and in the boldness of the grand order of things related to exploration beyond this world. I have no doubt that both Stamps and Propellers (and Jon too) can and do work in space. I'm currently using the Stamp in a near space program and find it to be a rugged work-horse capable of performing many tasks. These "space-hardened" Stamps and Propeller chips will become increasingly useful as we move closer towards the great exploration of space and space science.
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,190
    edited 2011-01-25 10:00
    Ken Gracey wrote: »
    Hey Buck Rogers, though I haven't seen Jon Powell in a while I think they are active as ever according to their blog. They've been to Parallax many times and we've donated hundreds of products to them through the past 15 years. Jon isn't the kind of guy who gives up easily, and although he hasn't been to our office in a while I'm sure he's still in pursuit of the mission. Last time I spoke with him they were considering lifting Jon into near-space using a dirigible. It was such a unique idea it stuck in my mind with some clarity.

    Contact him via e-mail at jpowell@jpaerospace.com.

    - Ken Gracey

    Hello!
    I did early on. The first to ask about that Pong-Sat wearing a solar cell, and then to ask about the site that they thought they had up discussing the technology directly. It was taken over by a squatter and was full of characters from the Far East. (Actually that was all in one.) No response. My point is that their blog on the things seems to have stopped for the moment, no mention of anything since about two years ago.

    And the supplied to Parallax flier only lists things for the launch cycle from 2004 to back to the founding of the firm.

    Hence that's why I listed this one as unsolved. When Spring returns I'll check again with them.
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,190
    edited 2011-01-25 10:03
    Humanoido wrote: »
    These space pioneers are absolutely fantastic in the knowledge and information they contribute to the world and in the boldness of the grand order of things related to exploration beyond this world. I have no doubt that both Stamps and Propellers (and Jon too) can and do work in space. I'm currently using the Stamp in a near space program and find it to be a rugged work-horse capable of performing many tasks. These "space-hardened" Stamps and Propeller chips will become increasingly useful as we move closer towards the great exploration of space and space science.

    I agree. When you consider that the first space rated processors were the CDP1802 from RCA, and everyone had to use them, then we have come far.

    However please define your phrasing of '"space-hardened" Stamps and Propeller chips".
  • jpowelljpowell Posts: 2
    edited 2011-01-30 11:26
    We're still pretty active. We now have 110 flights under our belt. I try to update the JP Aerospace blog everyday, but it works out to be every other day.
    www.jpaerospace.com/blog

    JPA_Parallax.jpg

    Parallax at 105,000 feet

    JP

    ps. Our propellers really do work in near vacuum. Check out "Space Propeller" on our
    video page.
    JPA_Parallax.jpg
    640 x 480 - 86K
  • K2K2 Posts: 693
    edited 2011-01-31 10:39
    Wow! A Class M motor launched at 100,000 feet! How does one go about getting clearance for such a launch? Do you work through Tripoli or LDRS?
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    edited 2011-01-31 11:48
    The would need a waiver from the FAA to do this. A waiver is needed to fly a balloon with a payload above a certain weight, which I believe is 6 pounds. A waiver is also needed to launch a rocket with more than a certain amount of propellant, which I think is 130 grams of propellant. The rocket launch would occur above 60,000 feet, and that is above controlled air space, so technically they might be able to do it without an FAA waiver. However, what goes up must come down, so it would passed through controlled air space on the way down.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2011-01-31 12:26
    jpowell,
    Our propellers really do work in near vacuum.

    Ha, Excellent. But I can't find that "Space Propeller" video anywhere.
  • jpowelljpowell Posts: 2
    edited 2011-01-31 14:02
    We don't fly with any of the organized groups. We get our own waivers and launch licenses from the FAA (Office of Commercial Space), our own insurance and BATF and BLM permits.

    There's a link on the top of the JPA home page (Videos). It takes you to our youtube channel. You need to scroll down to the end of the videos and click "Load More" (in the lower left). It's the 13th video from the end.

    JP
    www.jpaerospace.com
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