MIT students take pictures in Space using USD$150 rig

[Evilmerlin]

Did a quick check using the Wyoming balloon trajectory prediction website. Results aren't great. If you launch from say Jurong Island, it'll land about 93km away in the Straits of Malacca on the Indonesian side. Launching from say Pulau Ubin is even worst, it'll over fly both Singapore and Malaysia and still in the Straits albiet closer to Malaysia. These courses are predicted based on current prevailing winds of course.

Check out that website and ask to load using Google Earth KML, it'll show you the prediction.
http://weather.uwyo.edu/polar/balloon_traj.html

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/DDDMMSS-decimal.html <- Convert the lat and long to decimal degrees if you need it.

In Singapore, there are no distinct wet or dry seasons as rain falls every month of the year. When seasons are mentioned they refer to the prevailing wind dominant at that time of the year. The two main seasons are the North-east monsoon season which lasts from late November to March, and the South-west monsoon season from late May to September. April to early May and October to early November are generally transitional or changeover months separating monsoons. The North-east monsoon season which is more well defined is the wetter season and brings about 48 per cent of the total annual rainfall, while only 36 per cent of the annual rainfall occurs during the South-west monsoon season. The mean annual rainfall is 2360 mm. December is generally the wettest month of the year with an average monthly rainfall of 280 mm, while July is the month with lowest average monthly rainfall of 160 mm.

During the Northeast monsoon season winds blow most frequently from north to north-east while the South-west monsoon the prevailing winds are from south to south-east. The Northeast monsoon winds are generally cooler and more constant in direction and bring spells of wet weather which may persist for several days at a time. The wet spells are more frequent during the first three months of the North-east monsoon season. Dry spells occur during the later part of each monsoon season.

The chief features of the South-west monsoon season is the incidence of morning squalls known as "Sumatras" which develop within the south to north-west sector (the general direction of Sumatra). These squalls consists of gusty winds occasionally strong, often accompanied by heavy rain and thunder with drops in temperature, but the more intense features of the storm seldom last for more than one hour. "Sumatras" occur on the average three to four time a month throughout the season. The highest recorded wind speed during a Sumatra is 114 kilometres per hour. During the changeover months of April and October, winds are light and variable in direction. Afternoon or evening thunderstorms and conventional showers are more frequent.

So it would appear that April and October are probably the best months for launching. Think I'll check the prediction again next month to see.

 

[vince123123]

Hmm, you can't remember and you ask me to look? LOLZ

Anyway both has been sent to you by pm. Please now do let me know which Sections of the OSA and these two regulations you were asking me to consider earlier.

Hmm, it's been a while since I had completed my NSF obligations and as such I am unable to remember the title of the legislation or statutory law exactly and had to refer to another source through google search. So sorry. :sweat: :embrass:

Do you have a link to both the Essential (Control of Publications and Safeguarding of Information) Regulations and Singapore Armed Forces (Control of Publications and Safeguarding of Information) Order so that I will be able to review them and refresh my memory? You can send me a PM if you wish and thanks in advance for you help.

 

[eyes]

I actually don't mind if it lands on weird place. Hopefully it doesn't get stolen before it's being found. I still don't get it, if there's no law saying I can't, does it mean I can; in this case launching the project? :dunno:

 

[vince123123]

Yup, no law means can. But you better make sure really no law first

I actually don't mind if it lands on weird place. Hopefully it doesn't get stolen before it's being found. I still don't get it, if there's no law saying I can't, does it mean I can; in this case launching the project? :dunno:

 

[9V-Orion Images]

Hmm, you can't remember and you ask me to look? LOLZ

Anyway both has been sent to you by pm. Please now do let me know which Sections of the OSA and these two regulations you were asking me to consider earlier.

Thank you for sending me the requested files, really appreciate it. BTW your inbox is full.

Is there not a slight possibility that the owner of the balloon and camera can be arrested and charge under Chapter 213 for aerial photography without the relevant permit? :think:

 

[vince123123]

My pm box always bursting one, not enough space. Just post in this thread lor

Can you draw the specific section of Chapter 213 you are referring to? Also, since you have now confined the discussino to Cap213, I trust you are dropping the other two "oh-so-secret-army" regulations?

Cheers!

Thank you for sending me the requested files, really appreciate it. BTW your inbox is full.

Is there not a slight possibility that the owner of the balloon and camera can be arrested and charge under Chapter 213 for aerial photography without the relevant permit? :think:

 

[9V-Orion Images]

I actually don't mind if it lands on weird place. Hopefully it doesn't get stolen before it's being found. I still don't get it, if there's no law saying I can't, does it mean I can; in this case launching the project? :dunno:

You might wish to consider collaborating with the National Environment Agency (NEA) as they launch meteorological balloons at least 4 times daily.

ENR 5.3-1, Other Activities Of A Danger Nature.
Please Take Note That Aviation Time Standard Is Based On The Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).​

1.1 Balloons will be released for MET observation at:

a) Upper Air Observatory (0120N 10353E), bearing 244° Mag and distance 1.5NM from southern end of Paya Lebar Rwy 02; and

b) Changi Met Station (0122N 10359E), bearing 014° Mag and distance 1.1NM from southern end of Rwy 02L.


1.1.1 At Upper Air Observatory, balloons will be released daily at 2330 and 1000 plus or minus 30 minutes.

Rate of ascent of balloon: 1 000ft (305m) per minute.
Maximum height of balloon: 110 000ft (33 500m).
Colour of balloon: White.
Diameter of balloon: 6ft (2m).

The balloon is attached with radiosonde equipment.
Weight of radiosonde equipment: 330gm.
Size of radiosonde equipment: 6 x 16 x 13 cm.

The balloon will burst 11/2 to 2 hours after release and radiosonde equipment will descend within 60NM radius.


1.1.2 At Upper Air Observatory, a balloon will be released between 0130-0230 on the 2nd Thursday of every month.

Rate of ascent of balloon: 1 000ft (305m) per minute.
Maximum height of balloon: 115 000ft (35 000m).
Colour of balloon: White.
Diameter of balloon: 6ft (2m).

The balloon is attached with ozonesonde/radiosonde equipment and parachute.
Total weight of ozonesonde/radiosonde equipment: 950gm.
Size of ozonesonde/radiosonde equipment: 19 x 19 x 25 cm.

The balloon will burst 11/2 to 2 hours after release.


1.1.3 At Changi Met Station, balloons will be released daily at 0530 and 1800 plus or minus 15 minutes.

Rate of ascent of balloon: 500ft (150m) per minute.
Maximum height of balloon: about 40 000ft (12 200m).
Colour of balloon: Red.
Diameter of balloon: 2.1ft (0.7m).

At night a small paper lantern lighted up with a candle is attached. The balloon will burst 1 to 11/2 hours
after release.

CAAS Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP): Enroute (ENR) 5.3-1.

 

[9V-Orion Images]

My pm box always bursting one, not enough space. Just post in this thread lor

Can you draw the specific section of Chapter 213 you are referring to?
Cheers!

Section 3, do note the interpretation of "prohibited place" under Section 2.

Also, since you have now confined the discussino to Cap213, I trust you are dropping the other two "oh-so-secret-army" regulations?

Oh well. :embrass: We're told not to mention about it as we had to adhere to certain Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) during a civil unrest.

 

[Keenblade]

As long as it's high enough to shoot into an army camp... they can compound the rig on "security reasons". Don't forget that Singapore has the ISA act ;p

 

[vince123123]

I think there's quite a lot of things to prove spying under Section 3. Possible, but not probable. besides, you also need to overcome the hurdle of "prohibited place".

I think the photographs of the entire earth (as in the current thread) is so unlikely to be considered as making a photograph of a prohibited place.

Section 3, do note the interpretation of "prohibited place" under Section 2.

Oh well. :embrass: We're told not to mention about it as we had to adhere to certain Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) during a civil unrest.

 

[9V-Orion Images]

I think there's quite a lot of things to prove spying under Section 3. Possible, but not probable. besides, you also need to overcome the hurdle of "prohibited place".

Agreed, not to mention that it will be a PR nightmare for either the MINDEF/SAF or SPF to press charges on a photography enthusiasts over an alleged "espionage incident". But alas, such incident had happened overseas and there are no guarantee that it will not happen in Singapore. :think:

Plane-spotters 'ignored warnings'.
2002.04.25 (Thursday), 17:03 GMT/18:03 UK.

Greek court convicts plane-spotters.
2002.04.26 (Friday), 16:26 GMT/17:26 UK.

How did plane-spotters end up as spies?
2002.04.26 (Friday), 15:33 GMT/16:33 UK.

I think the photographs of the entire earth (as in the current thread) is so unlikely to be considered as making a photograph of a prohibited place.

If you had refer to the Project Icarus website by 1337arts, the Canon A470 was cracked and configured to capture a photo every 5 minutes with a intervalometer over a 5 hours period.

Assuming the climb rate of the balloon was 1,000ft per minute, the camera will have at least taken 2 photos by the time it reached 10,000ft. Since it is possible to view across the entire island of Singapore even at 2,000ft, we can safely assume the many places considered "protected" under Chapter 213 would have been captured by the camera, possibly even in a high enough resolution for positive identification of individual equipments.

Airliners.Net.
Photo ID No. 1397279 By Andrew Hunt.

Take note of Changi Naval Base (CNB) at the bottom of the photo along with Changi Air Base (East) and Singapore Changi Airport just above it, all gazetted as protected areas and protected places though photos such as this are taken everyday by dozens if not hundreds of visitors arriving into Singapore Changi Airport.

 

[shiruikage]

/rant/
donno wat is the fuss about protected places blah blah blah...granted they are protected, but with google earth imagery and pretty low tech window seat on an arriving airliner, these 'protected' places is...how protected, exactly? i'll leave the security issue for the experts....dowan to step on a landmine.

as for the taking of photographs, this cannot do, that cannot do...i wonder how anyone ever get anything big done without the government being involved around here in singapore...

launch a water rocket, no?
launch a chem rocket, no?
solid booster, no?
rc plane, no?
BIG rc planes, no?
balloons, no?

fky kite lor like dat...oh wait...that one oso need to be small size... sianz leh like dis...
/rant done/

so, any loopholes in the law saying we can (or at least NOT saying we can't)??

 

[eyes]

Rules and regulations.... I can't explain how embarassed I am everytime I have to tell my American and Dutch colleagues that they can't chew gum here. But anyway some folks will argue that 1 or 2 weeks of free holiday is perfectly justifiable for a priceless image that one can put his name to. :bsmilie:

So back to the point, will it be more difficult to prove that it's an esponiage or will it be more difficult to prove that there wasn't an ill intent if trouble comes? Onus on who to prove if trouble comes? :dunno:

 

[9V-Orion Images]

/rant/

donno wat is the fuss about protected places blah blah blah...granted they are protected, but with google earth imagery and pretty low tech window seat on an arriving airliner, these 'protected' places is...how protected, exactly? i'll leave the security issue for the experts....dowan to step on a landmine.

as for the taking of photographs, this cannot do, that cannot do...i wonder how anyone ever get anything big done without the government being involved around here in singapore...

launch a water rocket, no?
launch a chem rocket, no?
solid booster, no?
rc plane, no?
BIG rc planes, no?
balloons, no?

fky kite lor like dat...oh wait...that one oso need to be small size... sianz leh like dis...

/rant done/

I can understand what you meant.

ST aerospace management can be pretty anal about photography within it's premises, couldn't blame them ever since Ali Ridhaa bin Abdullah, an aircraft technician with SASCO at Paya Lebar, was discovered to be moonlighting as an Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) operative instead and was promptly detained under the ISA back in 2001.

so, any loopholes in the law saying we can (or at least NOT saying we can't)??

A number of Singapore legislations or statutory laws can be considered overly draconian in nature not to mention the interpretation of these legislations or statutory laws can be rather ambiguous. Only a matter of choice for the relevant authority to enforce it or not.

 

[9V-Orion Images]

So back to the point, will it be more difficult to prove that it's an esponiage or will it be more difficult to prove that there wasn't an ill intent if trouble comes? :dunno:

The former.

 

[+evenstar]

Rules and regulations.... I can't explain how embarassed I am everytime I have to tell my American and Dutch colleagues that they can't chew gum here.

if i'm not wrong, chewing gum is allowed in singapore.