Authors: Chris Keith
Not one to dither, Sutcliffe got straight into it. “I’m sure you’re all hoping for a story this year. Believe me, you’re not the only ones.”
When the laughter faded, he touched on a more serious note. “Things are quite different this year. As you may have heard, NASA is involved with the project. A lot more time and money has been invested and, all things considered, we’re in much better shape than in previous years.”
A reporter chewing on a wad of gum rose slowly to his feet and aimed a finger at Hennessey. “Who’s the new pretty addition and what’s her phone number?”
There were a few sordid whistles from the crowd. Hennessey’s comely figure had attracted a lot of attention. Sutcliffe glanced at the American, expecting her to blush. She didn’t and her face was a picture of concentration. The reporter, despite his impertinence, had posed a good question. Who was she? Sutcliffe had only found out about her ten months earlier and he had only met her ten minutes ago. Although she represented the company that had salvaged the project from early retirement, it had occurred to him that the highly acclaimed research institute she worked for was planning to steal the limelight.
Ten months ago, Will Thorndike had contacted Sutcliffe to inform him that NASA Headquarters had agreed to subsidise the balloon mission into space to promote space projects and to encourage people around the world, not just within the US, to take part in science and astronomy projects. Prolonged failure had dulled their determination to fulfil the flight, but NASA had changed that. Then Sutcliffe and his crew had been persuaded – Sutcliffe would call it blackmailed – to launch a scientific experiment on NASA’s behalf while in the stratosphere. Clearly NASA was looking to share the headlines in the news.
Sutcliffe had arrived at F1 Mission Control Base to meet with Thorndike, a broad
-
shouldered man with tidy, greyish hair and a square jaw. He was dressed in a grey suit and was brandishing a gold cigarette.
Sutcliffe approached from behind. “Mr Thorndike?”
Thorndike swivelled, exhaling a breath of smoke that curved around his face and disintegrated in the breeze.
“Ah, Brad,” the American responded in a broad, Texan accent. He shook Sutcliffe’s hand with a firm grip. “I’m a very busy man, so let’s get straight down to business, shall we?”
“Okay, why don’t we–”
“Let’s talk inside,” Thorndike interrupted. “Goddamn freezing out here, last thing I need is pneumonia, or frigging frostbite.”
Sutcliffe’s smile was humourless. NASA had poured a stack of US dollars into the project and he wanted the money to stay there. He showed the Texan into the workshop below the Flight Control Room where the balloon was kept and where they would not be interrupted.
“You know, our aim is to expand opportunities for Americans, and the British of course, and whoever else for that matter, to learn about and participate in NASA’s aeronautics and space programs by supporting and enhancing science, engineering, and assisting in research,” Thorndike explained. “We aim to integrate research with education to help build a diverse, scientifically literate workforce that isn’t only citizenry, but well
-
organised science and technology.”
Thorndike walked a few paces, bent down and picked up a discarded ratchet, tossed it up in the air and caught it by the handle. Then did it again.
“Fair enough,” Sutcliffe replied, flapping his hand across his face to clear the smoke Thorndike had trailed. “We have every int–”
“My point is…” he interrupted, “this mission of yours to the edge of space must succeed. And I emphasise the word
must
. Failure is bad for our reputation. Do you catch my drift?”
“I do, but I assure you that we have no intention of failing.”
Sutcliffe noticed his words coming out quickly, determined not to be cut short again. “We’ve put a lot of time and effort into this project, have faith in us. We won’t let NASA down, I promise you that.”
With his hands behind his back now, Thorndike strode a few paces and turned sharply, the cigarette clamped in his lips, smoke fogging over his face. “I don’t think you’re quite catching my drift, Brad. What do you know of Chandra?”
“Chandra? I have no idea what Chand–”
“Chandra is a telescope that we have been using in astronomy. It reads different regions of the X
-
ray spectrum. The first Chandra revolutionised low
-
energy X
-
ray observation and we’re hoping to do that once again in the high energy region. But Chandra is very expensive to run. The new prototype is fifty times more sensitive than previous versions, much smaller and less costly than the first Chandra and it will fill in the blanks where Chandra missed. We call it Chandra II, or Chandra Junior.”
Mixed with articulated opinions, Sutcliffe went to voice one of them, but stopped himself.
Speaking slowly, Thorndike went on. “When the balloon carrying the X
-
ray telescope is released into the stratosphere, an aluminium master cylinder polished very smooth and electroplated with shiny nickel will start the collection process. When the rod cools, the nickel pops off as an extremely thin, perfectly smooth mirror shell. Their extremely smooth inner surfaces reflect X
-
rays at shallow angles and focus the rays onto a teeny detector. The most focussed high-energy X
-
ray images ever seen before are the final result. In a nutshell, Brad, Chandra II is a telescope that will study the spectrum of space. This telescope will be released from your balloon when you reach your target altitude and it’s vital to NASA’s research. So you see, now, why this mission cannot fail.”
Sutcliffe didn’t have the first idea about astronomy and being suddenly accountable for an expensive telescope without experience disgruntled him. “Like I said, we have no intention of failing.”
Thorndike bounced his head in acknowledgment. “That’s very pleasing to hear.”
“Of course, we’ll need training with Chandra II so we know exactly how to handle it. The gondola on the balloon may need to be modified to accommodate it. We’ll need to assess its size and weight and work out exactly how we are going to administer the tool.”
“Firstly, it’s not a tool, Brad. It is a highly advanced X
-
ray observatory worth multi
-
millions of dollars.” Thorndike looked irritated. “Secondly, nobody from your crew will be responsible for Chandra II. One of our top NASA research pilots will accompany you on your mission.”
“Meaning no disrespect, Mr Thorndike, he may be a successful NASA pilot, but how many balloons has he–”
“She, not he, has over one thousand hours of flight experience. She is well
-
trained and vastly skilled. I assure you, she comes highly recommended.”
A camera flash seared Sutcliffe’s eyes and left a white smudge on his vision. When it passed, he gestured the question to the American. “I will let Miss Hennessey explain who she is. Jen?”
“I’m here to oversee the successful launch of Chandra II.”
The same reporter shrugged. “Sorry, love, I don’t know what Chandra II is.”
She went into details of her role and responsibility, explaining that part of the mission centred on the launch of NASA’s X
-
ray telescope, Chandra II. As a condition of investment, NASA had requested use of the balloon to release the new telescope as part of a new experiment in monitoring the heated beams licking at black holes and supernova remnants. When she finished speaking, several hands shot into the air. The press wanted to know more about Chandra II. They wanted to know how much it was costing NASA and why they hadn’t manufactured a helium balloon of their own. Why NASA were supporting a project of that kind, given the fact that the company liked to do things alone. Back to the Fable
-
1 project, reporters particularly speculated on the failure two years ago when, just hours before the launch, the seam tore open. They noted that if the balloon couldn’t withstand the placidness of land, it wouldn’t cope with the hostile regions of the upper atmosphere.
Matthews pointed to a bald man sitting near the front of the stage. “This is your fourth attempt in as many years. What makes you so sure you will be successful this time?”
“We’re not. But we have learnt from our mistakes. Two years ago, everything had been going to plan but, as you know, we had to cancel at the last minute because of a twist in the envelope. As a result, the seam split because the helium came under immense pressure. Although we managed to fix it, we had problems getting more helium and consequently we lost the opportunity because of low pressure in the atmosphere. And that really pissed me off.”
Some of the crowd found Matthews funny. Others attacked him with hardhearted questions. “What about three years ago?” another reporter called out, somewhere to the right. “Explain that.”
“Again, we had technical difficulties,” he replied.
“You mean the balloon material split again?”
Matthews shuffled his feet in agitation. “There was a rupture, not in the seam, but in the envelope itself and the balloon deflated. I think it’s fair to say that we’ve been pretty unlucky. Last year, we were on the verge of giving up altogether when NASA contacted us with this sponsorship proposal. With NASA’s financial help and professional input, we’re ready for the challenge, more than we’ve ever been. All we need now is a good weather forecast.”
“What will the environment up there be like and are you prepared if something goes wrong?” another reporter yelled from the back of the room.
Sutcliffe took that one. “We’ll be approximately twenty five miles above the Earth’s surface, above ninety nine percent of the Earth’s atmosphere where pressure is one hundred and fifty times less than at sea level, literally on top of the sky,” he explained. “The stratosphere air temperatures remain relatively constant until we reach the target altitude where it gradually increases to reach a maximum temperature of around minus four or five degrees Centigrade in a virtually airless atmosphere. The low air pressure is enough to make blood boil instantly. Four years ago, the Russians supplied us with pressurised spacesuits and kindly assisted us with our training. NASA has injected money, which has gone into building a stronger, safer balloon. If there’s a problem with the balloon after launch, we’ll detach the gondola from the envelope and parachute back to Earth. We’ll also be equipped with reserve parachutes attached to our spacesuits in the unlikely event we need to abandon the gondola. Otherwise, we’re prepared for every eventuality we may encounter, as we have been in previous years.”
“What happens if the helium in the balloon expands too much when you’re high up in space? Won’t the balloon pop?”
“The balloon is designed to leak so it maintains equilibrium with the outside air. Otherwise, yes, the pressure build
-
up would explode the balloon.”
Both Claris Faraday and Keith Burch were infinitely more com-fortable speaking publicly with only a handful of media. Before a large crowd, they equally succumbed to nervousness and were worried about saying the wrong thing. That was why they’d both been relieved when Sutcliffe and Matthews had offered to do all the talking. Faraday had avoided any discussion about her involvement so far, but she knew it was only a matter of time before that changed. Sutcliffe and Matthews were co
-
captains communicating progress to Ground Control and Matthews was the flight expert. Burch would monitor navigation and GPS tracking and he was the balloon’s craftsman and Hennessey was NASA’s responsibility.
“Miss Faraday,” a reporter called out. Camera lights blasted on her and the heat made her sweat. Slowing her breathing to slow her thumping heart, she braced herself while the man stood up. “Is your role to be the same as last year, with the cameras?”
Throat dry, she coughed to clear it, her fist covering her mouth, then pulled up her cardigan sleeves. “It is, yes, although…when we reach an altitude of about fifty to sixty thousand feet, where we can’t be seen from the ground, I’ll be setting off black smoke bombs to indicate our position.”
Faraday’s mind went blank for a second, forgetting the initial question, before she remembered and was able to continue. “Once we’ve settled at float altitude and the balloon has expanded to full size, I’ll release a camera and microwave transmitter. NASA has supplied us with a miniature version of the solar
-
wing similar to the Helios, which will carry the camera. The images will be broadcast live to F1 Mission Control Base in St. Ives, Cornwall, and live across the world.”
“How do you feel about this year’s launch?”
“I’m quite confident, actually. We have a qualified crew and having a NASA research pilot with us can only be beneficial.”
Sutcliffe thanked the media for coming and asked if anyone had any more questions. Most asked legitimate, relevant questions. A few were cynics who wanted to stir the pot a little and get reactions. Regardless, Sutcliffe, always the total professional, answered all the questions with respect. His replies never wavered and he never lost his composure, always dictating the momentum and attitude of the discussion.
After the press conference, the Fable
-
1 crew congregated in the small function room at the back of the Chandelier Ballroom where refreshments had been provided.
“That went pretty well,” said Matthews.