spring of 2013. NSC has the necessary tooling and equipment to produce custom
balloons and inflatable articles optimized for the specific mission. They have the
ability to prototype a balloon for a customer by using a wide variety of materials
and techniques. They have an extensive range of custom in-house sealers, sewing
machines, and testing equipment. NSC can rapidly construct and test specialized
inflatables and balloons. See Section 5.5 for details.
3.1.5 Other Balloon Envelopes
International Companies
There are many other balloon types in use today, especially in other countries.
For example, since 1971 CNIM Air Space (formerly Airstar Aerospace) has
gained a lot of experience in textile design and manufacturing of stratospheric
balloons as well as tethered balloons and even airships. It has a manufacturing,
engineering, research and testing unit near Toulouse which is the heart of the
aeronautics and space industry in France and a base of operations and flight tests
in Chambley in the far north east of the country. The facilities host R&D, prototyping, production and quality control equipment in order to respond to the most
complex demands from aeronautics and space customers. It also has a clean
room, characterization equipment, numerical simulation, test benches and an
aerodrome for flight tests.
CNIM Air Space’s stratospheric balloons are mostly employed by the scientific
community to study the atmosphere, its chemistry and dynamics. They are also
valuable tools for astronomers and biologists or for demonstrating technologies.
Their balloons lift anything from a few kilograms to several tons and are able to
operate at an altitude as low as several hundred meters all the way up to 40 km
(131,000 ft). It is the supplier for many space agencies, including the European
Union and CNES in France.
For other international companies, some of which can manufacture their own
balloons, see Section 9.3.
Weather Balloons
Other types of balloon are capable of stratospheric flight, for example a weather
or meteorological balloon, but most are for much lower altitudes. This book will
not cover those but it is interesting to note that the classic weather balloon is used
extensively in training students about STEM subjects related to the atmosphere.
See Chapter 10 for details.
Starting in 1896, the French meteorologist Léon Teisserenc de Bort launched
hundreds of weather balloons from his observatory in Trappes, France. These
experiments enabled him to discover the tropopause and stratosphere.
3.1 Balloon Envelopes 33
balloons and inflatable articles optimized for the specific mission. They have the
ability to prototype a balloon for a customer by using a wide variety of materials
and techniques. They have an extensive range of custom in-house sealers, sewing
machines, and testing equipment. NSC can rapidly construct and test specialized
inflatables and balloons. See Section 5.5 for details.
3.1.5 Other Balloon Envelopes
International Companies
There are many other balloon types in use today, especially in other countries.
For example, since 1971 CNIM Air Space (formerly Airstar Aerospace) has
gained a lot of experience in textile design and manufacturing of stratospheric
balloons as well as tethered balloons and even airships. It has a manufacturing,
engineering, research and testing unit near Toulouse which is the heart of the
aeronautics and space industry in France and a base of operations and flight tests
in Chambley in the far north east of the country. The facilities host R&D, prototyping, production and quality control equipment in order to respond to the most
complex demands from aeronautics and space customers. It also has a clean
room, characterization equipment, numerical simulation, test benches and an
aerodrome for flight tests.
CNIM Air Space’s stratospheric balloons are mostly employed by the scientific
community to study the atmosphere, its chemistry and dynamics. They are also
valuable tools for astronomers and biologists or for demonstrating technologies.
Their balloons lift anything from a few kilograms to several tons and are able to
operate at an altitude as low as several hundred meters all the way up to 40 km
(131,000 ft). It is the supplier for many space agencies, including the European
Union and CNES in France.
For other international companies, some of which can manufacture their own
balloons, see Section 9.3.
Weather Balloons
Other types of balloon are capable of stratospheric flight, for example a weather
or meteorological balloon, but most are for much lower altitudes. This book will
not cover those but it is interesting to note that the classic weather balloon is used
extensively in training students about STEM subjects related to the atmosphere.
See Chapter 10 for details.
Starting in 1896, the French meteorologist Léon Teisserenc de Bort launched
hundreds of weather balloons from his observatory in Trappes, France. These
experiments enabled him to discover the tropopause and stratosphere.
3.1 Balloon Envelopes 33