9.3.10 Australia
Alice Springs airport located in the Northern Territory was established in 1920 or
thereabouts and was very active during the Second World War for both the Royal
Australian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force.
In 1960, at U.S. expense, the Department of Supply (DOS) constructed the first
Australian Balloon Launch Station (ABLS) from the Mildura airport in Victoria,
which is 1,767 km (1,100 mi) south and east of Alice Springs. The main activity
there was to support an atmospheric sampling program carried out by the U.S.
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) under an inter-government agreement that
lasted almost seven years; 600 balloons were launched from the station. During
the 1970’s there was a trend to flying larger balloons with volumes of 1 million m
3
(35 million ft
3
) and payloads weighing up to several tonnes. But most users preferred to fly from Alice Springs rather than Mildura, so some facilities were established there.
After the program was terminated in 1974, a new inter-government agreement
sharply reduced the number of missions devoted to the sampling effort but also
diversified the research aims of the flights to other branches of science and to a
wider community of users. After consideration of the needs, the users, and the
costs, the government decided to close the Mildura station, although foreigners
could use its facilities at their own expense.
Scientific groups from around the world realized the potential of Australia as a
site for ballooning. The southerly latitude combined with the large land mass in
the east-west direction, facilitated extended observation times for astrophysical
sources not easily visible from the northern hemisphere. One of those locations
was the Alice Springs airport from which were carried out many experiments in
gamma-ray and X-ray astronomy. As the airport lacked dedicated facilities, the
balloon launches from there were performed under Mildura ABLS management,
with the equipment and staff being transported by road and rail to Alice Springs
during each campaign. The very low population density over Central Australia
allowed the use of heavy payloads and big balloons with fewer restrictions and
very safe termination margins. However, the desert and rough terrain meant the
recovery teams had to use four-wheel drive vehicles and helicopters.
In 1983 NASA took charge of the balloon program and the NSBF managed
U.S. flights from Alice Springs. During that decade, dozens of flights were made
for infrared, X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, as well as others to investigate high
energy particles of galactic and cosmic origin. Two flights were carried out in
1987 specifically to observe the SN1987A supernova in the Large Magellanic
Cloud. Alice Springs proved to be an excellent base to analyze the event, which
was only visible in the southern hemisphere. By the end of the decade scientists
were flying balloon missions in Australia for observations in all the high energy
physics domains.
9.3 International Organizations 223
Alice Springs airport located in the Northern Territory was established in 1920 or
thereabouts and was very active during the Second World War for both the Royal
Australian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force.
In 1960, at U.S. expense, the Department of Supply (DOS) constructed the first
Australian Balloon Launch Station (ABLS) from the Mildura airport in Victoria,
which is 1,767 km (1,100 mi) south and east of Alice Springs. The main activity
there was to support an atmospheric sampling program carried out by the U.S.
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) under an inter-government agreement that
lasted almost seven years; 600 balloons were launched from the station. During
the 1970’s there was a trend to flying larger balloons with volumes of 1 million m
3
(35 million ft
3
) and payloads weighing up to several tonnes. But most users preferred to fly from Alice Springs rather than Mildura, so some facilities were established there.
After the program was terminated in 1974, a new inter-government agreement
sharply reduced the number of missions devoted to the sampling effort but also
diversified the research aims of the flights to other branches of science and to a
wider community of users. After consideration of the needs, the users, and the
costs, the government decided to close the Mildura station, although foreigners
could use its facilities at their own expense.
Scientific groups from around the world realized the potential of Australia as a
site for ballooning. The southerly latitude combined with the large land mass in
the east-west direction, facilitated extended observation times for astrophysical
sources not easily visible from the northern hemisphere. One of those locations
was the Alice Springs airport from which were carried out many experiments in
gamma-ray and X-ray astronomy. As the airport lacked dedicated facilities, the
balloon launches from there were performed under Mildura ABLS management,
with the equipment and staff being transported by road and rail to Alice Springs
during each campaign. The very low population density over Central Australia
allowed the use of heavy payloads and big balloons with fewer restrictions and
very safe termination margins. However, the desert and rough terrain meant the
recovery teams had to use four-wheel drive vehicles and helicopters.
In 1983 NASA took charge of the balloon program and the NSBF managed
U.S. flights from Alice Springs. During that decade, dozens of flights were made
for infrared, X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, as well as others to investigate high
energy particles of galactic and cosmic origin. Two flights were carried out in
1987 specifically to observe the SN1987A supernova in the Large Magellanic
Cloud. Alice Springs proved to be an excellent base to analyze the event, which
was only visible in the southern hemisphere. By the end of the decade scientists
were flying balloon missions in Australia for observations in all the high energy
physics domains.
9.3 International Organizations 223