On July 19, 1997, at 10:20 AM, BLT-12 lifted off from the Wharton
Municipal Airport.  The preparations and launch went flawlessly.
The GPS locked in on 5 satellites prior to launch, the video was
fantastic, the packet data was load and strong, and the 433.915
MHz beacon was solid.  At 42,000 feet the altitude value locked
up and the latitude and longitude data became questionable.  The
video was still fantastic, but the location of BLT-12 was in
question.  Ninety minutes into the flight the balloon burst.  The
estimated altitude (no GPS data) was around 87,000 feet.  Clouds
had rolled in and the exact position of the craft was a mystery.
Pre-flight estimates showed a ground track under 15 miles, but
due to the loss of GPS the cut-down command was not sent and the
package was allowed to parachute in without intervention.  Beam
headings from the Wharton Municipal airport were to the northwest.
This agrees with the estimated landing sites.  The primary estimate
is 29 deg. 19.0 min N and 96 deg. 23.7 min. W.  Second estimate is
29 deg. 20.5 min. N and 96 deg. 25.5 min. W. and the last plausible
estimate is 29 deg. 21.3 min. N and 96 deg. 19.0 min W.

Can you find BLT-12 before it is harvested?  Just after it broke
through the clouds on the way down we got some great video of the
ground.  These pictures show things that the craft saw as it spun
around.  BLT-12 is in the center of these landmarks waiting for
someone to come along and pick it up.  You can see pipelines,
water, buildings, roads, etc.  Your mission... FIND  BLT-12!

73 de Andy W5ACM