Geomagnetism And other Scientific Observations (PEGASO) payload supplied
by Italy performed a complete circumnavigation of the North Pole without ever
encroaching on Russian territory.
All balloons launched from Svalbard were flown using the Longyearbyen airport facilities, as no dedicated facilities have been built for this purpose elsewhere
on the island. The reason was the economic crisis that affected the European
Union during the decade which led to the closure and dismantling of the Italian
balloon base of Trapani-Milo in Sicily. Additionally, the missions performed so
far were limited to flights from Svalbard to Greenland or to the north of Canada
due to the refusal of Russia to allow overflights of its territory.
For a 7:41 minute video of the launch of OLIMPO on July 14, 2018, go to:
https://youtu.be/EKNYN9tW3Sw
6.3.4 The Taiki Aerospace Research Field (TARF)
The Taiki Aerospace Research Field (TARF), formerly the Taiki Multi-Purpose
Aerospace Park, is on a broad flat plain that spreads out for 30 km (19 mi) along
the eastern shoreline of Hokkaido Island in the northern portion of Japan. It was
conceived when the small settlement of Taiki (average population 7,000 people)
made a plan to improve the land use. The initial land reclamation and acquisition
took place in 1993 and the following year construction started of the first hangar
and the old runway. In October of 1995 there was the formal inauguration of the
Park, which covers a total area of 47 hectares (116 acres). TARF is now the only
dedicated balloon launch facility in Japan. It performs two launch campaigns per
year, one in the spring and the other in the fall.
6.3.5 Hyderabad, India
Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, is considered to be
the true capital of the scientific ballooning in India because three different places
have served as balloon launch sites over the years. Ballooning started there in the
1940’s, but the currently active launch site is the National Balloon Facility which
was established in 1969 on 25 hectares (62 acres) belonging to the Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research, in what was then the rural, low populated area east of
Secunderabad. Its isolation changed radically with the consolidation in the 1990’s
of the Cherlapally Industrial Development Area as well as population settlements.
The National Balloon Facility is one of the leading balloon launching facilities
in the world, being extensively used by India’s national laboratories and universities and by foreign scientists from the USA, Russia, UK, Japan, Germany, and
Italy. There have been hundreds of flights over the decades. In 2014, the Tata
Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) launched a balloon into the mesosphere
for the first time by an Indian team.
6.3 International 143
by Italy performed a complete circumnavigation of the North Pole without ever
encroaching on Russian territory.
All balloons launched from Svalbard were flown using the Longyearbyen airport facilities, as no dedicated facilities have been built for this purpose elsewhere
on the island. The reason was the economic crisis that affected the European
Union during the decade which led to the closure and dismantling of the Italian
balloon base of Trapani-Milo in Sicily. Additionally, the missions performed so
far were limited to flights from Svalbard to Greenland or to the north of Canada
due to the refusal of Russia to allow overflights of its territory.
For a 7:41 minute video of the launch of OLIMPO on July 14, 2018, go to:
https://youtu.be/EKNYN9tW3Sw
6.3.4 The Taiki Aerospace Research Field (TARF)
The Taiki Aerospace Research Field (TARF), formerly the Taiki Multi-Purpose
Aerospace Park, is on a broad flat plain that spreads out for 30 km (19 mi) along
the eastern shoreline of Hokkaido Island in the northern portion of Japan. It was
conceived when the small settlement of Taiki (average population 7,000 people)
made a plan to improve the land use. The initial land reclamation and acquisition
took place in 1993 and the following year construction started of the first hangar
and the old runway. In October of 1995 there was the formal inauguration of the
Park, which covers a total area of 47 hectares (116 acres). TARF is now the only
dedicated balloon launch facility in Japan. It performs two launch campaigns per
year, one in the spring and the other in the fall.
6.3.5 Hyderabad, India
Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, is considered to be
the true capital of the scientific ballooning in India because three different places
have served as balloon launch sites over the years. Ballooning started there in the
1940’s, but the currently active launch site is the National Balloon Facility which
was established in 1969 on 25 hectares (62 acres) belonging to the Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research, in what was then the rural, low populated area east of
Secunderabad. Its isolation changed radically with the consolidation in the 1990’s
of the Cherlapally Industrial Development Area as well as population settlements.
The National Balloon Facility is one of the leading balloon launching facilities
in the world, being extensively used by India’s national laboratories and universities and by foreign scientists from the USA, Russia, UK, Japan, Germany, and
Italy. There have been hundreds of flights over the decades. In 2014, the Tata
Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) launched a balloon into the mesosphere
for the first time by an Indian team.
6.3 International 143