9.3 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
9.3.1 Canadian Space Agency, STRATOS Program
The stratospheric balloon program of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), called
STRATOS, provides Canadian academia and industry with an opportunity to
test and validate new technologies and perform scientific experiments in a nearspace environment, in the process inspiring and training the next generation of
experts.
STRATOS was created in 2012 through the CSA’s collaboration with the Centre
National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the French Space Agency. The CSA-CNES
agreement allows Canadian experts access to French stratospheric balloon flight
opportunities in Canada and abroad. To date it has sent 24 Canadian instruments
and experiments into the stratosphere. More than 150 Canadians participated in
the balloon campaigns, including 80 students.
CSA provides a mid-latitude launch base at the Timmins Stratospheric
Balloon Base (TSBB), located in an area of northern Ontario that has a low
population. They also provide recovery services and interface with the national
authorities involved in safely flying heavy stratospheric balloons in Canadian
air space.
For a 2:11 video of the STRATOS program, go to:
https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/balloons/stratos.asp
9.3.2 CNES
The French Space Agency (CNES) has been supporting scientific ballooning since
its establishment in 1962. Balloon flights have been performed with high success
rates from France, Spain, and Sweden. Research and development has achieved
advances in the related fields of materials, structure analysis, balloon manufacture, flight performance, telemetry, long duration flights and recovery systems.
These activities include:
• Using gondolas as platforms for scientific payloads of open stratospheric
balloons, including improvements and operations of pointing systems, in
collaboration with the Observatory of Geneva.
• The development of two new systems to improve the recovery conditions of
gondolas after cut off.
• The development of a super-pressure balloon as part of Strateole project.
With 3,500 flights of heritage and nearly 60 years of experience in ballooning,
CNES developed the flight hardware, notably the New Operational SYstem for
the Control of Aerostats (NOSYCA), as well as all associated ground support
216 The Balloon World
9.3.1 Canadian Space Agency, STRATOS Program
The stratospheric balloon program of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), called
STRATOS, provides Canadian academia and industry with an opportunity to
test and validate new technologies and perform scientific experiments in a nearspace environment, in the process inspiring and training the next generation of
experts.
STRATOS was created in 2012 through the CSA’s collaboration with the Centre
National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the French Space Agency. The CSA-CNES
agreement allows Canadian experts access to French stratospheric balloon flight
opportunities in Canada and abroad. To date it has sent 24 Canadian instruments
and experiments into the stratosphere. More than 150 Canadians participated in
the balloon campaigns, including 80 students.
CSA provides a mid-latitude launch base at the Timmins Stratospheric
Balloon Base (TSBB), located in an area of northern Ontario that has a low
population. They also provide recovery services and interface with the national
authorities involved in safely flying heavy stratospheric balloons in Canadian
air space.
For a 2:11 video of the STRATOS program, go to:
https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/balloons/stratos.asp
9.3.2 CNES
The French Space Agency (CNES) has been supporting scientific ballooning since
its establishment in 1962. Balloon flights have been performed with high success
rates from France, Spain, and Sweden. Research and development has achieved
advances in the related fields of materials, structure analysis, balloon manufacture, flight performance, telemetry, long duration flights and recovery systems.
These activities include:
• Using gondolas as platforms for scientific payloads of open stratospheric
balloons, including improvements and operations of pointing systems, in
collaboration with the Observatory of Geneva.
• The development of two new systems to improve the recovery conditions of
gondolas after cut off.
• The development of a super-pressure balloon as part of Strateole project.
With 3,500 flights of heritage and nearly 60 years of experience in ballooning,
CNES developed the flight hardware, notably the New Operational SYstem for
the Control of Aerostats (NOSYCA), as well as all associated ground support
216 The Balloon World