dynamics, and balloon design. NASA placed a moratorium on heavy load flights
for all NASA-funded experiments. A NASA Heavy Lift Balloon Review
Committee proposed a six month NASA-funded program of testing and development of heavy lift balloons. Over the next few years improvements in balloon
design, use of a soft collar restraint during launch, a new 36 inch launch spool, and
improved balloon quality assurance resulted in a marked increase in success of
heavy load flights, and in March 1979 NASA lifted the moratorium.
Initial effort to use the INMARSAT global capability, NASA Tracking and
Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), and SMS/GOES satellites in support of
long duration ballooning was made by NSBF between 1978 and 1980. Balloon
flight hardware for GOES was procured and flight tested. In the area of balloon
design improvement, the first flights of balloons with external caps, versus internal caps as previously constructed, were made at Palestine. The external caps
added protection to the gas barrier during launch and also provided better balloon
structural support at float altitudes.
In September 1981 a Sky Anchor flight was launched from Greenville, South
Carolina. The system floated for 43.5 hours before being terminated in western
Oklahoma. This established the feasibility of extended duration flights from a
location in the eastern USA. During the mid-1980’s, a number of engineering
advances were made in balloon systems. These included:
• Design of a new balloon helium valve.
• Design of an automatic burst detector.
• A computer augmented platform for telecommunication and navigation of
LDB flights (CAPTN).
• Construction of an Omega data sampling receiver for LDB flights.
• Work on linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) balloon grade film.
• Testing of a new technique for launching heavy payloads.
• Work on a new super-pressure design concept.
As the 1980 decade started, NASA became a larger part of the NSBF mission.
In May 1981 NSBF supported the Atmospheric Science Correlative Measurement
Program involving multiple experiments on three gondolas designed to be
launched in the same air mass. In 1982 the Stratospheric Balloon Intercomparison
Program was supported. This consisted of four balloon launches conducted within
a period of three and a half hours. In 1983 the sponsorship of the facility and program was transferred from NSF to NASA. The NASA Balloon Working Group of
scientists was established for the purpose of counseling NASA on the performance
and management needs of the NASA Balloon Program, including the operation
and support of the NSBF. The NASA Balloon Program management came under
the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Suborbital Program structure with Mr. Larry
Early as Division Manager and Mr. Harvey Needleman as Balloon Program
Manager. The NSBF continued to be managed and staffed by UCAR with Mr.
Alfred Shipley as the Director.
260 Appendix 1: A Brief History of the NSBF/CSBF
for all NASA-funded experiments. A NASA Heavy Lift Balloon Review
Committee proposed a six month NASA-funded program of testing and development of heavy lift balloons. Over the next few years improvements in balloon
design, use of a soft collar restraint during launch, a new 36 inch launch spool, and
improved balloon quality assurance resulted in a marked increase in success of
heavy load flights, and in March 1979 NASA lifted the moratorium.
Initial effort to use the INMARSAT global capability, NASA Tracking and
Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), and SMS/GOES satellites in support of
long duration ballooning was made by NSBF between 1978 and 1980. Balloon
flight hardware for GOES was procured and flight tested. In the area of balloon
design improvement, the first flights of balloons with external caps, versus internal caps as previously constructed, were made at Palestine. The external caps
added protection to the gas barrier during launch and also provided better balloon
structural support at float altitudes.
In September 1981 a Sky Anchor flight was launched from Greenville, South
Carolina. The system floated for 43.5 hours before being terminated in western
Oklahoma. This established the feasibility of extended duration flights from a
location in the eastern USA. During the mid-1980’s, a number of engineering
advances were made in balloon systems. These included:
• Design of a new balloon helium valve.
• Design of an automatic burst detector.
• A computer augmented platform for telecommunication and navigation of
LDB flights (CAPTN).
• Construction of an Omega data sampling receiver for LDB flights.
• Work on linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) balloon grade film.
• Testing of a new technique for launching heavy payloads.
• Work on a new super-pressure design concept.
As the 1980 decade started, NASA became a larger part of the NSBF mission.
In May 1981 NSBF supported the Atmospheric Science Correlative Measurement
Program involving multiple experiments on three gondolas designed to be
launched in the same air mass. In 1982 the Stratospheric Balloon Intercomparison
Program was supported. This consisted of four balloon launches conducted within
a period of three and a half hours. In 1983 the sponsorship of the facility and program was transferred from NSF to NASA. The NASA Balloon Working Group of
scientists was established for the purpose of counseling NASA on the performance
and management needs of the NASA Balloon Program, including the operation
and support of the NSBF. The NASA Balloon Program management came under
the NASA Wallops Flight Facility Suborbital Program structure with Mr. Larry
Early as Division Manager and Mr. Harvey Needleman as Balloon Program
Manager. The NSBF continued to be managed and staffed by UCAR with Mr.
Alfred Shipley as the Director.
260 Appendix 1: A Brief History of the NSBF/CSBF