2 March 2023

Norway bound in a few days.  It’s hard to leave the springtime behind in exchange for cold and snow and rain and ice. I’ve just gotten my summer clothes out and now can look forward to layers and boots. This trip, I’ll have a grad student helping me at the remote camera site. Danielle has been on one previous trip, to Alaska, but her camera site was on the NASA jet.  Not exactly boots on the ground. It will be nice to have company!  Since this is also her first international trip, it should be quite an experience.

Because of various issues, our launch window is only about a week long. That’s not a lot of time to get four rockets launched, but our last two Norway/Svalbard launches we did actually launch the first night. So, we are cautiously optimistic. It's not too promising to hear that March is the month when they get the most snow, to the delight of cross country skiiers.  

After a few days in Andenes, at the Andøya Space Rocket Range, Danielle and I will fly south to Bodø and then drive another hour to Inndyr.   

I have located a house near the water that doubles as a camera site.  It's not easy finding a location that is secure and away from streetlights.  In Norway, especially, it's also very difficult to find a location without a tall mountain in your field of view.

The mission is Vorticity Experiment (VortEx).  We will have all four rockets on launchers and if we have a clear night with science, they will be launched in pairs.  

So, I hope you'll enjoy sharing the experience with me.