they can also provide a calibration (or transfer) standard between successive
flights. Carefully inter-calibrated sets of data would be very valuable for addressing changes in the incoming and outgoing radiation over decadal time scales.
NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has a Lightning
Imaging Sensor (LIS) that has made some significant discoveries, including that
virtually no lightning occurs over oceans. But TRMM will soon end, and future
series of NOAA weather satellites will not carry lightning sensors. Nevertheless,
the measurement has considerable value for precipitation research. ULDB would
operate at almost an ideal altitude, being above all weather and yet near enough to
thunderstorms to provide close-up views rather than the 8-km-average “smeared”
view provided by LIS and other satellite sensors. In addition, ULDB instruments
could observe the full temporal development of a lightning storm, as opposed to
the snapshot taken by a satellite that races overhead and is absent for the next 90
minutes. ULDB would also be able to investigate the sprites and other electrical
phenomena that were discovered in the 1990’s to occur above thunderstorms.
Atmospheric composition is one Earth science research area that has made use of
balloons in the past two decades. The EOS-Aura spacecraft is currently providing
most of the atmospheric composition measurements for that community. But the next
atmospheric composition mission to be capable of providing such complete coverage
(including polar regions such as the Antarctic ozone hole) is late in the Decadal
Survey’s queue. ULDB could fill any gap between missions in addition to providing
continuous coverage of the recovery of stratospheric ozone over the coming decades.
The following are examples of scientific stratospheric balloon flights.
7.1.2 Aeronomy
Aeronomy is an important field of research because it directly applies to the study
of global climate change, satellite communication systems, the accuracy of global
positioning systems, and also the interactions of space phenomena with terrestrial
power distribution systems. To undertake it requires access to satellites, sounding
rockets, and especially stratospheric balloons that supply valuable data about this
region of the atmosphere.
The main balloon-borne instruments used for aeronomy include interferometers, spectrometers, infrared detectors and others means of performing remote and
in-situ observations.
Keys elements of aeronomy research include the study of the atmospheric tides
that dominate the dynamics of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, upperatmospheric lightning discharges (such as red sprites, sprite halos, blue jets and
so-called elves) and the interaction of the solar wind with the high atmosphere.
The French National Centre for Scientific Research sponsors a lot of aeronomy
research including the use of balloons. Over the past quarter century there have been
over a hundred balloons flights called Systeme D’Analyse par Observation Zenithale
(SAOZ). The balloons float at 30 km (~100,000 ft). The gondola is an ultraviolet-visible spectrometer which observes horizontally at local sunrise and sunset to make
146 Scientific Flight Types
flights. Carefully inter-calibrated sets of data would be very valuable for addressing changes in the incoming and outgoing radiation over decadal time scales.
NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has a Lightning
Imaging Sensor (LIS) that has made some significant discoveries, including that
virtually no lightning occurs over oceans. But TRMM will soon end, and future
series of NOAA weather satellites will not carry lightning sensors. Nevertheless,
the measurement has considerable value for precipitation research. ULDB would
operate at almost an ideal altitude, being above all weather and yet near enough to
thunderstorms to provide close-up views rather than the 8-km-average “smeared”
view provided by LIS and other satellite sensors. In addition, ULDB instruments
could observe the full temporal development of a lightning storm, as opposed to
the snapshot taken by a satellite that races overhead and is absent for the next 90
minutes. ULDB would also be able to investigate the sprites and other electrical
phenomena that were discovered in the 1990’s to occur above thunderstorms.
Atmospheric composition is one Earth science research area that has made use of
balloons in the past two decades. The EOS-Aura spacecraft is currently providing
most of the atmospheric composition measurements for that community. But the next
atmospheric composition mission to be capable of providing such complete coverage
(including polar regions such as the Antarctic ozone hole) is late in the Decadal
Survey’s queue. ULDB could fill any gap between missions in addition to providing
continuous coverage of the recovery of stratospheric ozone over the coming decades.
The following are examples of scientific stratospheric balloon flights.
7.1.2 Aeronomy
Aeronomy is an important field of research because it directly applies to the study
of global climate change, satellite communication systems, the accuracy of global
positioning systems, and also the interactions of space phenomena with terrestrial
power distribution systems. To undertake it requires access to satellites, sounding
rockets, and especially stratospheric balloons that supply valuable data about this
region of the atmosphere.
The main balloon-borne instruments used for aeronomy include interferometers, spectrometers, infrared detectors and others means of performing remote and
in-situ observations.
Keys elements of aeronomy research include the study of the atmospheric tides
that dominate the dynamics of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, upperatmospheric lightning discharges (such as red sprites, sprite halos, blue jets and
so-called elves) and the interaction of the solar wind with the high atmosphere.
The French National Centre for Scientific Research sponsors a lot of aeronomy
research including the use of balloons. Over the past quarter century there have been
over a hundred balloons flights called Systeme D’Analyse par Observation Zenithale
(SAOZ). The balloons float at 30 km (~100,000 ft). The gondola is an ultraviolet-visible spectrometer which observes horizontally at local sunrise and sunset to make
146 Scientific Flight Types