Scott's Journal
Scott's Question and Answer Page

2003 Campaign
Wildlife Seen on the 2003 Campaign
Vehicles Seen on the 2003 Campaign

Scott is now back home.

This journal and question-and-answer forum are part of NASA's educational outreach program, where project participants communicate with people and other institutions around the country (and world). Some of the scientists and engineers on the NIGHTGLOW project have agreed to establish (along with the work of the project's website curator and educational outreach coordinator, Beth Jacob) an internet forum for journal writing and answering questions. One of the engineers who will participate in this quasi-live web based forum is Scott Murphy.

Scott has been working on the NIGHTGLOW project since its inception in 1999. He is the lead mechanical engineer and has been responsible for the overall design, certification, integration, and deployment of the NIGHTGLOW payload. Over the course of the program, Scott has been to Palestine, Texas for first integration and a test flight. Scott has been back to Palestine (remember Texas) many times for integrations and payload work since then.

In January 2001, NIGHTGLOW was deployed to Australia for an around-the-world flight. Unfortunately the newly developed Super Pressure (ULDB) balloon failed, and the payload was forced to parachute back to Earth only 1 hour after launch. There was a second launch during that campaign, but the science instrument had been removed for safekeeping. Only NIGHTGLOW's payload structure was "loaned" to the National Scientific Balloon Facility to use as a test payload for that second new balloon. The balloon made it across Australia but landed on the west coast near Perth, Australia. The gondola structure was returned, but there was no science to be had.

Scott and the NIGHTGLOW team are back in Australia now for another attempt at an around-the-world flight...