reaching particularly low temperatures in the polar winter night. The winds in the
stratosphere can reach nearly 209 km/h (130 mph) in the southern polar vortex.
Balloon scientists seem to love to fly astrophysics balloons there, watching them
circumnavigate Antarctica and then recovering their payloads nearby.
Over just the past generation the sophistication and complexity of payloads has
steadily increased, in some instances potentially yielding scientific returns that
can rival or exceed what can be accomplished in a much more expensive orbital
mission. In fact many instruments and components flown, tested and developed on
balloons are later adapted for spacecraft.
Scientific balloons have been perfected with the unique capability for ultralong duration flight above 99.5% of the atmosphere, widely referred to as the edge
of space. They are unique in being able to maintain sustained flight altitudes in the
upper stratosphere, enjoy a relatively short development time from the inception
of a scientific research project and flight, and expand the frontiers of Earth and
space sciences at low cost. Scientific balloons carry considerable payloads and
can enter the stratosphere and remain there for extended periods of time, all the
while obtaining data to provide a better understanding of the world, or in some
cases the universe. The demand for balloon flights outstrips NASA’s ability to
launch them. At any given time there is often a backlog of missions waiting for
flight which both delays the delivery of science to the community and increases its
associated cost.
Launch Sites
Scientists are very particular about where they want to launch their precious balloon payloads. They have spent years designing them for a specific purpose and
have spent a lot of time, energy and money on them. Some want to go as high as
possible, some want to carry as much weight (payload) as possible, some want to
stay aloft as long as possible, and some want to go to a specific geographical area
or look in a particular direction. All of these different requirements dictate a launch
site, or a select number of sites. Hence, considering the number of nations involved
in ballooning there are many sites around the world.
NASA operates several sites for those missions designed for test and technology evaluation that offer safety and satisfactory air traffic control. Some of those
also satisfy scientific requirements. NASA has agreements with the National
Science Foundation (NSF) to use their site at Williams Field in McMurdo,
Antarctica as well as agreements with Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, Brazil,
and others. International scientists also use these as well as their own launch sites.
This book discusses all the different organizations, both foreign and domestic,
involved with stratospheric balloons. There are tens of thousands of people all
over the world involved in scientific ballooning, not counting those involved in
sport ballooning and world competition.
4 Introduction
stratosphere can reach nearly 209 km/h (130 mph) in the southern polar vortex.
Balloon scientists seem to love to fly astrophysics balloons there, watching them
circumnavigate Antarctica and then recovering their payloads nearby.
Over just the past generation the sophistication and complexity of payloads has
steadily increased, in some instances potentially yielding scientific returns that
can rival or exceed what can be accomplished in a much more expensive orbital
mission. In fact many instruments and components flown, tested and developed on
balloons are later adapted for spacecraft.
Scientific balloons have been perfected with the unique capability for ultralong duration flight above 99.5% of the atmosphere, widely referred to as the edge
of space. They are unique in being able to maintain sustained flight altitudes in the
upper stratosphere, enjoy a relatively short development time from the inception
of a scientific research project and flight, and expand the frontiers of Earth and
space sciences at low cost. Scientific balloons carry considerable payloads and
can enter the stratosphere and remain there for extended periods of time, all the
while obtaining data to provide a better understanding of the world, or in some
cases the universe. The demand for balloon flights outstrips NASA’s ability to
launch them. At any given time there is often a backlog of missions waiting for
flight which both delays the delivery of science to the community and increases its
associated cost.
Launch Sites
Scientists are very particular about where they want to launch their precious balloon payloads. They have spent years designing them for a specific purpose and
have spent a lot of time, energy and money on them. Some want to go as high as
possible, some want to carry as much weight (payload) as possible, some want to
stay aloft as long as possible, and some want to go to a specific geographical area
or look in a particular direction. All of these different requirements dictate a launch
site, or a select number of sites. Hence, considering the number of nations involved
in ballooning there are many sites around the world.
NASA operates several sites for those missions designed for test and technology evaluation that offer safety and satisfactory air traffic control. Some of those
also satisfy scientific requirements. NASA has agreements with the National
Science Foundation (NSF) to use their site at Williams Field in McMurdo,
Antarctica as well as agreements with Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, Brazil,
and others. International scientists also use these as well as their own launch sites.
This book discusses all the different organizations, both foreign and domestic,
involved with stratospheric balloons. There are tens of thousands of people all
over the world involved in scientific ballooning, not counting those involved in
sport ballooning and world competition.
4 Introduction