Grand saut

2006 est l'année du Grand Saut

9/16/2002 6 pm The great team !

Two weeks passed by in Saskatoon, and the members which did not know eachothers at first, build a formidable team today!
Une équipe de choc !
Deux semaines se sont écoulées à Saskatoon. Les membres qui ne se connaissaient pas au départ, forment aujourd'hui une équipe de choc!
Everybody is embarked on the same boat, the Frenchmen and Canadians, and the last two weeks spent all together around Michel and his project made the team immovable. 2 persons for Michel's dressing, 2 doctors supervised by the Professor Paul Vanuxem, 2 engineers in the transmission radio HF, 2 engineers in the video transmission HF, the Gamma team was consisted of 2 photographers, a journalist and a responsible for the transmission of photos, the Capucine Films team for the video and the logistics, 1 person in charge of the Internet site, 1 engineer responsible of oxygen, an engineering manager, an ingeneer for the gondola, 1 helicopter of rescue, a team of resuscitation, a team of fire brigades, 2 FAI judges for the ratification of the jump and finally the Canadian launch team, consisted of 13 persons supervised by Dale Sommerfeldt.
Tout le monde est embarqué sur le même bateau, les Français comme les Canadiens, et les deux semaines passées tous ensemble autour de Michel et de son projet ont suffi à en faire une équipe inébranlable. 2 personnes pour l'habillage de Michel, 2 médecins sous la direction du Professeur Paul Vanuxem, 2 ingénieurs à la transmission radio HF, 2 ingénieurs à la transmission vidéo HF, l'équipe Gamma composée de 2 photographes, d'un journaliste et d'un responsable pour la transmission des photos, l'équipe Capucine Films pour la vidéo et la logistique, 1 personne chargée du site Internet, 1 ingénieur responsable de l'oxygène, un directeur technique, un responsable de la nacelle, 1 hélicoptère de sauvetage, une équipe de réanimation, une équipe de pompiers, 2 juges de la F. A. I pour l'homologation du saut et enfin l'équipe canadienne du lancement, composée de 13 personnes sous la direction de Dale Sommerfeldt.

9/15/2002 4 pm The accident!

On Sunday , September 15, 3:20 pm Saskatoon time, takeoff less 50 minutes, an incident comes at the time of the inflating....
La déchirure ! Dimanche 15 septembre, 15h20 heure de Saskatoon, décollage moins 50 minutes, un incident arrive au moment du gonflage....
It is 50 minutes before happiness, one hour after the beginning of Michel's denitrogenation, that the fate turns in black this sunny day. Everything was going smoothly, Michel was waiting calmly in the gondola for the helium pressure to be sufficient in the balloon to be able to take off... Unfortunately, few seconds after the beginning of the inflating, one of the muffs by which the helium is injected tears, forbidding any hope of takeoff. Michel is forced to return to the HQ, and to wait for the diagnosis. Six long hours are necessary for the repair of the balloon.... And the winds start to strengthen. We are once again all looking forward to the next meteorological bulletin.
C'est à 50 minutes du bonheur, une heure après le début de la dénitrogénation de Michel, que le sort joue un mauvais tour à l'équipe du Grand Saut. Tout se déroulait parfaitement, Michel attendait calmement dans sa nacelle que la pression de l'hélium soit suffisante dans le ballon pour pouvoir décoller... Malheureusement, quelques secondes après le début du gonflage, un des manchons par lequel on injecte l'hélium se déchire, interdisant tout espoir de décollage. Michel est contraint de retourner au PC, et d'attendre le diagnostic. Six longues heures sont nécessaires pour la réparation du ballon.... et le vent se remet à forcir. Nous sommes une fois de plus tous dans l'attente du prochain bulletin météo.

9/17/2002 11 pm Special meeting

The last weather report announces almost no winds on the ground, everybody should be ready for an imminent launch.
It is after an extraordinary meeting that it was decided to gather the whole team on the base at 6 am. As soon as a favorable window will appear, it will be necessary to seize it. Everything should go very fast, 3 hours are necessary for the preparation, but the crenel can be of only one hour... Always so belligerent, Michel get some rest to take forces for the Big Jump!

9/13/2002 4:00pm Last procedures!

The excitement is at its maximum, and all the team repeats the procedures of preparation for the launch.
Dernières procédures ! L'effervescence est à son comble, et toute l'équipe répète les procédures de préparation au lancement.
Check of the presence on the site of 4 oxygen tanks, plugging of the GPS on the spare battery, control of Michel's SARSAT beacon, everything is performed in greatest detail. A feat of this size is well worth the relentless work of specialists! "After check of the parameters of the capsule still on the ground, Michel should take place in it and avoide touching the dashboard; once the pressure relaxed and the debit verified, he will begin the phase of denitrogenation which will last one hour. I shall have this heavy task, to regulate the pressure, the internal and outside temperatures and the percentage of oxygen necessary for the ascent. " This is what explained us Jean-Claude Moutaux, engineer in oxygenation at high height.
Vérification de la présence sur le site des 4 bouteilles d'oxygène, mise sous tension du GPS de bord sur la batterie de réserve, contrôle de la balise SARSAT de Michel, tout est étudié dans les moindres détails. Un exploit de cette taille vaut bien le travail acharné de spécialistes ! « Après vérification des paramètres de la cabine encore au sol, Michel devra prendre place en évitant de toucher au tableau de bord, une fois la pression détendue et le débit vérifié, il entamera une phase de dénitrogénation qui durera une heure. J'aurai cette lourde tâche, de réguler la pression, les températures intérieures et extérieures et le pourcentage d'oxygène nécessaire à l'ascension. » C'est ce que nous explique Jean-Claude Moutaux, ingénieur en oxygénation à haute altitude. A .M

09/13/2002 10:30 am Resistance test!

In this morning's program, the 3 parachutes of the gondola have been submitted to a resistance test by a push of 4 and a half tons!
This push could seem oversize with regard to the weight of the gondola (600kg) and Michel (110 kg), but this test was essential considering the size of the balloon and the force of winds. Electric cables were put late in the afternoon on the suspentes of parachutes to run the cutting cables. Indeed these small explosive charges will allow the gondola to get loose from the balloon, in case of problem during the ascent or when Michel will have landed under parachute

09/12/2002 8h15 pm Right in the eyes!

"Michel's visual acuteness is today excellent " asserts to us the doctor Gilles Lesieur.
This specialist in eye surgery operated Michel Fournier with a brand new technique called lasic to reduce the visual variations at high height. This operation will maybe serve for reducing causes of inaptitudes of future astronauts. Alexis Moreau

09/11/2002 10:30 am Our friend...the Weather!

The small sonde balloon flew away yesterday to fall approximately at 100 km of the base. The results gathered today are rather favorable, but the jet streams are still too strong for now.
The small probe balloon flew away yesterday to land about 100 km from the base. The meditative results today are rather favorable, but the jets streams remain nevertheless too strong for Michel's experiment. An inversion of these high height winds is foreseen between Friday and Saturday, what can let augur ideal conditions for the flight of the stratospheric balloon. Winds on the ground will also have to be clement to allow a secure balloon take off.

09/10/2002 8:15 pm Count down !

On the base, everything is operated and tests multiplied every day! Michel Fournier works right now on the very last procedures of safety.
Looking forward to the last detailed weather reports, the procedures are repeated with accuracy. The takeoff of a balloon sounds is foreseen at the beginning of the evening and the hour will come to know if the countdown can begin.

09/06/2002 9:25 pm Up and at it!

It is in the enjoyment and the cheerfulness that Michel Fournier welcomed his VIPs at Saskatoon's airport.
Jean-François Clervoy, astronaut and supporter of the project, André Turcat, former test pilot for the Concorde, and more! Without hesitation Michel hugs and greets them with a friendly smile. After a well-deserved pause at the hotel, it is be time for the briefing!
L'astronaute et parrain du projet, Jean-François Clervoy, mais encore André Turcat, ancien pilote d'essai du Concorde, et j'en passe des meilleurs ! Sans faire de chichi, Michel multiplie les accolades et leur adresses d'incessants « ça va » ! Après une pause bien méritée à l'hôtel, ce sera l'heure du briefing ! A.M

09/05/2002 Inhale, and Exhale!

"On the expiration you loosen the muscles of your legs, here we go... relaxed! ", it is in these terms that the trainer and parachutist Pierre Alain Bocquillon addresses to Michel Fournier during an exercise of softening.
Morning jogging, exercises of softenings, relaxation, photos sessions.... In the wait of his attempt, Michel Fournier trains himself, and on the recommendations of his coach, he does not hesitate to dip his hands into a ice bath which does not exceed three degrees. Alexis Moreau

09/02/2002 3 am Highway to the moon!

Highway to the moon! A scientific experiment of Canadian universities in partnership with the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) gives us the occasion to witness a "real size" attempt.
Notre amie la Météo ! Le petit ballon sonde s'est envolé hier pour retomber à environ 100 km de la base. Les résultats recueillis aujourd'hui sont plutôt favorables, mais les jets streams restent néanmoins trop forts pour l'expérience de Michel.

It's half past midnight in Saskatoon, and the technicians of Dale Sommerfeldt (leader in stratospheric balloons launch in Canada) stir on the launch base. The lorry with helium, to which is fixed the 325 000 m3 balloon (2/3 of Michel's balloon), Michel dressed his suit for a small photo session, in front of his amazed team. 3 AM: the almost translucent monster takes up a scientific payload for the study of the ozone and disappears definitively in the starry sky. It is past midnight and the Dell technicians (leader in stratospheric balloon launches) move around under the spotlights of the balloon charged truck. Michel is wearing his mission suit for a small photo shoot under the eyes of the amazed team. 3:00 am ; the translucent balloon carries up the weight of the parametric material to disappear definitely in the star filled sky. This incredible show permits Michel's team to be prepared for D-Day. Alexis. Moreau

09/04/2002 4 pm Test Time

After some days of delay, the gondola and the balloon finally arrived on the launch base. The technical team prepares and controls carefully the material. Nothing is left at random!
The polyethylene balloon, thick of 23 microns, is delicately stored in a secured warehouse whereas the specialized team controls every details on the gondolla, a small pressurized spacecraft. The oxygen bottles needed for Michel's rise into the sky, as well as the sound and image equipment will be put in place and tested soon. The oxygen tanks for the ascent, the audio and video equipment allowing the live broadcast will soon be tested and placed in the gondola

09/07/2002 Morning chat

Nice morning jogging for Michel Fournier, together with Jean François Clervoy, on the Saskatoon River banks.

The two men had a chance to chat away from the reporters camera this morning, under a cloudy and rainy sky! That lets us think that the Super Jump might be delayed until next week depending on weather conditions

09/03/2002 Beyond limits and performances!

Michel Fournier represented yesterday morning not less than 30 companies during his press conference.

Take a few partners like CERTEC, Francital or Actis and then add a glass of Alain Afflelou, mix the whole with the specific high altitude GPS system of the engineer Gérard Auvray; place this mixture in the hands of the medical team of the Professor Vanuxem and you will obtain 4 World records! It could have been a way for Michel Fournier at the press conference to introduce the 30 companies that have supported him during the last 15 years

09/01/2002 22h00 A busy schedule!

After having given a long interview to the Canadian channel RDI, Michel got back to his hotel to prepare his press conference.
On his way to Saskatoon, Michel Fournier drop by Montreal on August 28 to meet Mr. Marc Garneau, President of the Canadian space agency, to present him the last advancements of his project and invite him to attend the jump. Once in Saskatoon and having given a long interview to the Canadian channel RDI, he got back to his hotel to prepare his next press conference that he will have this week with the local media of Saskatchewan.