Recent Developments in Scientific Research Ballooning

✍ Scribed by W. Vernon Jones

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 779 KB
• Volume: 166
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0920-5632
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysbps.2006.12.064

✦ Synopsis

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Balloon Program is committed to meeting the need for extended duration scientific investigations by providing advanced balloon vehicles and support systems. A sea change in ballooning capability occurred with the inauguration of 8 -20 day flights around Antarctica in the early 1990's. The attainment of 28 -31 day flights and a record-breaking 42-day flight in, respectively, two and three circumnavigations of the continent has greatly increased the expectations of the scientific users. A new super-pressure balloon is currently under development for future flights of 60 -100 days at any latitude, which would bring another sea change in scientific research ballooning.