#balloonimageoftheday — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #balloonimageoftheday, aggregated by home.social.
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On May 4th 1961, the Stratolab V balloon flight ended in tragedy. Piloted by Cdr Malcolm Ross and Lt. Victor Prather, the mission departed from the deck of the USS Antietam in the Gulf of Mexico. The balloon attained a world-record altitude of 113,739 feet, which still remains.
During recovery Prather fell from the sling of the rescue helicopter, his pressure suit with face plate open filled with water, and he drowned before he could be reached.
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On May 4th 1961, the Stratolab V balloon flight ended in tragedy. Piloted by Cdr Malcolm Ross and Lt. Victor Prather, the mission departed from the deck of the USS Antietam in the Gulf of Mexico. The balloon attained a world-record altitude of 113,739 feet, which still remains.
During recovery Prather fell from the sling of the rescue helicopter, his pressure suit with face plate open filled with water, and he drowned before he could be reached.
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Launch of a Boundary Layer Pressurized Balloon from #Ushuaia Airport in February 2000.
It was one of the seven launched as part of the BOA (Ballons sur l'Océan Austral) campaign carried out between #CNES, LMD, and University of Buenos Aires - CIMA.
The #balloons flew at an almost constant altitude of 1350 meters.
The goal was to obtain along their trajectories measurements of pressure, temperature, water vapor, and wind velocity.
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Launch of a Boundary Layer Pressurized Balloon from #Ushuaia Airport in February 2000.
It was one of the seven launched as part of the BOA (Ballons sur l'Océan Austral) campaign carried out between #CNES, LMD, and University of Buenos Aires - CIMA.
The #balloons flew at an almost constant altitude of 1350 meters.
The goal was to obtain along their trajectories measurements of pressure, temperature, water vapor, and wind velocity.
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Charles B. Moore co-pilot of the StratoLab IV mission gazing at the sky before being launched onboard the sealed capsule to 79.000 ft.
In the background can be seen the Schmidt telescope brought by the John Hopkins University which was mounted on the top side of the gondola.
During the flight performed from the Stratobowl on November 28 1959, were obtained the first observations of water vapor on the atmosphere of Venus.
#StratoLab #BalloonImageOfTheDay #Balloon #Stratobowl #ONR #Skyhook
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Charles B. Moore co-pilot of the StratoLab IV mission gazing at the sky before being launched onboard the sealed capsule to 79.000 ft.
In the background can be seen the Schmidt telescope brought by the John Hopkins University which was mounted on the top side of the gondola.
During the flight performed from the Stratobowl on November 28 1959, were obtained the first observations of water vapor on the atmosphere of Venus.
#StratoLab #BalloonImageOfTheDay #Balloon #Stratobowl #ONR #Skyhook
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Launch of #CREPE experiment from Fleming Field (MN) on September 4, 1970.
The experiment consisted of 240 square feet of detectors housed in a 20 by 12-foot package. The detectors (plastic track, nuclear emulsion, & fast film Cernekov) were designed to record the intensity & direction of trans-iron primary cosmic rays in the stratosphere.
The balloon drifted for more than 347 hours before landing 20 miles west of Regina, Canada.
#BalloonImageOfTheDay
#Cosmicrays #Research #Science #History -
Launch of #CREPE experiment from Fleming Field (MN) on September 4, 1970.
The experiment consisted of 240 square feet of detectors housed in a 20 by 12-foot package. The detectors (plastic track, nuclear emulsion, & fast film Cernekov) were designed to record the intensity & direction of trans-iron primary cosmic rays in the stratosphere.
The balloon drifted for more than 347 hours before landing 20 miles west of Regina, Canada.
#BalloonImageOfTheDay
#Cosmicrays #Research #Science #History -
The KESTREL mission balloon seen ascending majestically above Ramona County Airport (CA) on 11/13/86.
KESTREL was a program to develop technology capable of addressing issues associated with precise tracking of ballistic missiles. It was carried out by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with support from the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory.
Image by Jan Kocian.
#BalloonImageOfTheDay
#Balloon #Kestrel #Ramona
#AFGL #Livermore #LLNL -
The KESTREL mission balloon seen ascending majestically above Ramona County Airport (CA) on 11/13/86.
KESTREL was a program to develop technology capable of addressing issues associated with precise tracking of ballistic missiles. It was carried out by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with support from the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory.
Image by Jan Kocian.
#BalloonImageOfTheDay
#Balloon #Kestrel #Ramona
#AFGL #Livermore #LLNL -
Preparations for the launch of a #stratospheric #balloon, moments before the dawn near #Bristol, England in the early 1950s.
The #hydrogen filling tube is visible at the bottom, together with the nuclear emulsion stack in a bamboo cage. The #emulsions were sent aloft to register traces of rare particles created by collisions of cosmic rays with particles in the high atmosphere.
All eyes look at rubber balloons launched to gauge wind speed
(Source: Bristol University)
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Preparations for the launch of a #stratospheric #balloon, moments before the dawn near #Bristol, England in the early 1950s.
The #hydrogen filling tube is visible at the bottom, together with the nuclear emulsion stack in a bamboo cage. The #emulsions were sent aloft to register traces of rare particles created by collisions of cosmic rays with particles in the high atmosphere.
All eyes look at rubber balloons launched to gauge wind speed
(Source: Bristol University)
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Preparations for the launch of a #stratospheric #balloon, moments before the dawn near #Bristol, England in the early 1950s.
The #hydrogen filling tube is visible at the bottom, together with the nuclear emulsion stack in a bamboo cage. The #emulsions were sent aloft to register traces of rare particles created by collisions of cosmic rays with particles in the high atmosphere.
All eyes look at rubber balloons launched to gauge wind speed
(Source: Bristol University)
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Preparations for the launch of a #stratospheric #balloon, moments before the dawn near #Bristol, England in the early 1950s.
The #hydrogen filling tube is visible at the bottom, together with the nuclear emulsion stack in a bamboo cage. The #emulsions were sent aloft to register traces of rare particles created by collisions of cosmic rays with particles in the high atmosphere.
All eyes look at rubber balloons launched to gauge wind speed
(Source: Bristol University)
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Preparations for the launch of a #stratospheric #balloon, moments before the dawn near #Bristol, England in the early 1950s.
The #hydrogen filling tube is visible at the bottom, together with the nuclear emulsion stack in a bamboo cage. The #emulsions were sent aloft to register traces of rare particles created by collisions of cosmic rays with particles in the high atmosphere.
All eyes look at rubber balloons launched to gauge wind speed
(Source: Bristol University)
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On February 2nd, 1966, Nick #Piantanida an NJ truck driver and parachutist made his 2nd attempt at a stratospheric jump as part of project #STRATOJUMP.
After a successful #balloon launch from Sioux Falls (SD), the pilot reached the bailout altitude of 125.000 ft, but when he prepared to jump, the oxygen hose connection failed to detach. Without any tool to resolve the issue, he was forced to land on its #gondola in a cornfield in Iowa.
Images belong to #LIFE collection
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On February 2nd, 1966, Nick #Piantanida an NJ truck driver and parachutist made his 2nd attempt at a stratospheric jump as part of project #STRATOJUMP.
After a successful #balloon launch from Sioux Falls (SD), the pilot reached the bailout altitude of 125.000 ft, but when he prepared to jump, the oxygen hose connection failed to detach. Without any tool to resolve the issue, he was forced to land on its #gondola in a cornfield in Iowa.
Images belong to #LIFE collection
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Rare image of a launch test at Holloman AFB in 1993 of the Off-board Balloon Jammer System (OBJS) a prototype device developed in the early 1990s decade by the Southwest Research Institute.
The system was mounted inside a modified F-111 external fuel tank to be dropped in the target area and allow surveillance equipment to remain above the battlefield for much longer, floating under its own balloon.
Full details: https://stratocat.com.ar/fichas-e/1993/HMN-19931000.htm
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Rare image of a launch test at Holloman AFB in 1993 of the Off-board Balloon Jammer System (OBJS) a prototype device developed in the early 1990s decade by the Southwest Research Institute.
The system was mounted inside a modified F-111 external fuel tank to be dropped in the target area and allow surveillance equipment to remain above the battlefield for much longer, floating under its own balloon.
Full details: https://stratocat.com.ar/fichas-e/1993/HMN-19931000.htm
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On April 22, 1959 astronomer Audouin #Dollfus made from Villacoublay, France an ascent to 43000 ft in a sealed cabin, using a cluster of 105 sounding balloons.
The lightweight #gondola, a 230-pound sphere of thin metal about six feet in diameter, was sealed, pressurized, and air-conditioned.
During the flight, the #balloon system stabilized at an altitude of about 43,000 feet. He studied the Moon, #Venus & other planets with a #telescope coupled to a spectrophotometer.
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On April 22, 1959 astronomer Audouin #Dollfus made from Villacoublay, France an ascent to 43000 ft in a sealed cabin, using a cluster of 105 sounding balloons.
The lightweight #gondola, a 230-pound sphere of thin metal about six feet in diameter, was sealed, pressurized, and air-conditioned.
During the flight, the #balloon system stabilized at an altitude of about 43,000 feet. He studied the Moon, #Venus & other planets with a #telescope coupled to a spectrophotometer.
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Launch from Palestine (TX) of the #BIRAP Infrared Telescope developed at the University of #Groningen, Netherlands. Circa 1978.
BIRAP used a 60 cm. Cassegrain-type telescope mounted on a stabilized platform developed by Ball Brothers.
At the time, BIRAP's scientists had the tradition of nicknaming every #balloon flight to the -at that time- secretary of the Department of Space Research.
Hence, some flights carried in the gondola tubing names such as GRETHA 5 or LAURA 1
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Launch from Palestine (TX) of the #BIRAP Infrared Telescope developed at the University of #Groningen, Netherlands. Circa 1978.
BIRAP used a 60 cm. Cassegrain-type telescope mounted on a stabilized platform developed by Ball Brothers.
At the time, BIRAP's scientists had the tradition of nicknaming every #balloon flight to the -at that time- secretary of the Department of Space Research.
Hence, some flights carried in the gondola tubing names such as GRETHA 5 or LAURA 1
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Images of the Imperial College balloon-borne telescope taken at the launch pad in Palestine, Texas, and at the landing site, 40 feet up in a tree near Starkville, Mississippi.
During the December 1979 flight, it made far-IR astronomical spectroscopy with an interferometer at its focus.
Although the difficult place on which the payload came to rest it resulted undamaged. The NSBF team managed to recover safely the platform and returned it to Palestine base within 5 days.
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Images of the Imperial College balloon-borne telescope taken at the launch pad in Palestine, Texas, and at the landing site, 40 feet up in a tree near Starkville, Mississippi.
During the December 1979 flight, it made far-IR astronomical spectroscopy with an interferometer at its focus.
Although the difficult place on which the payload came to rest it resulted undamaged. The NSBF team managed to recover safely the platform and returned it to Palestine base within 5 days.
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Today, 9/28/2023 the unit of the National Institute for Space Research in Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil completes 53 years of existence.
There is located the only permanent balloon launch facility in the country known as Setor de Lancamento de Baloes (SLB).
SLB has a rich history with almost 40 balloons launched between 1980 and 2008.
You can get a glimpse of their history and the full launch record at StratoCat: https://bit.ly/3EXJ2w2
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1979 was a key year for the search for antimatter in the universe, and the balloons were the protagonists.
Two groups, one in the USA led by Dr. Robert L.Golden at the New Mexico State Univ. and another one in the URSS led by Dr. Edward A. Bogomolov at the Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute, of Leningrad, obtained on separate flights, the first indications of the presence of antiprotons in the cosmic radiation.
Both groups published their result almost at the same time.
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1979 was a key year for the search for antimatter in the universe, and the balloons were the protagonists.
Two groups, one in the USA led by Dr. Robert L.Golden at the New Mexico State Univ. and another one in the URSS led by Dr. Edward A. Bogomolov at the Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute, of Leningrad, obtained on separate flights, the first indications of the presence of antiprotons in the cosmic radiation.
Both groups published their result almost at the same time.
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Launch of a cosmic ray experiment on July 21, 1969 from the #soccer field of the #River Plate stadium, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The stadium stands served as a virtual #windbreak to allow the balloon to be safely inflated & launched. Several balloon missions were performed there in 1969/70 by the Centro Nacional de Radiación Cósmica (CNRC) and the institution that succeeded it the Instituto de #Astronomia y #Fisica del Espacio (IAFE)
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Launch of a cosmic ray experiment on July 21, 1969 from the #soccer field of the #River Plate stadium, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The stadium stands served as a virtual #windbreak to allow the balloon to be safely inflated & launched. Several balloon missions were performed there in 1969/70 by the Centro Nacional de Radiación Cósmica (CNRC) and the institution that succeeded it the Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio (IAFE).
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In 1990 #CNES dropped from a balloon launched from the Aire Sur L'Adour base, an exact replica of the Space Shuttle but scaled down 5,24 times as part of the #FALKE program.
The program was created to perform #aerodynamics tests in real flight conditions ( #subsonic & #hypersonic ) as part of the pre-developmental work for #HERMES, a proposed #spaceplane designed by CNES in 1975 which was later continued by the European Space Agency.
More data: https://bit.ly/452ooFM
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In 1990 #CNES dropped from a balloon launched from the Aire Sur L'Adour base, an exact replica of the Space Shuttle but scaled down 5,24 times as part of the #FALKE program.
The program was created to perform #aerodynamics tests in real flight conditions ( #subsonic & #hypersonic ) as part of the pre-developmental work for #HERMES, a proposed #spaceplane designed by CNES in 1975 which was later continued by the European Space Agency.
More data: https://bit.ly/452ooFM
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The crew of the Explorer II mission posing in front of the gondola in which captains Stevens and Anderson would rise into the stratosphere from the stratocamp, near Rapid City, South Dakota, on 11/11/1935.
Capt. Albert W. Stevens (center) was commander of the National Geographic-Army stratosphere flight; Capt. Orvil A. Anderson, (left) pilot; and Capt. Randolph P. Williams, ground officer and alternate pilot.
Learn more about the feat at: https://stratocat.com.ar/artics/explorer-e.htm
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The crew of the Explorer II mission posing in front of the gondola in which captains Stevens and Anderson would rise into the stratosphere from the stratocamp, near Rapid City, South Dakota, on 11/11/1935.
Capt. Albert W. Stevens (center) was commander of the National Geographic-Army stratosphere flight; Capt. Orvil A. Anderson, (left) pilot; and Capt. Randolph P. Williams, ground officer and alternate pilot.
Learn more about the feat at: https://stratocat.com.ar/artics/explorer-e.htm
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Very rare image of a stratospheric balloon launch from Brazil's Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station.
During the 1985 summer campaign, two stratospheric balloon experiments were conducted by the Instituto de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE).
Two balloons were launched on February 10 and 21 to measure the atmospheric X-Rays and Gamma rays.
Image provided by Nilton B. Renó from its personal collection.
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Very rare image of a stratospheric balloon launch from Brazil's Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station.
During the 1985 summer campaign, two stratospheric balloon experiments were conducted by the Instituto de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE).
Two balloons were launched on February 10 and 21 to measure the atmospheric X-Rays and Gamma rays.
Image provided by Nilton B. Renó from its personal collection.
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Project #Farside was an attempt to reach very high altitudes using a balloon in the stratosphere as launch platform. The #vector was composed of four #Recruit rockets as stage one, one Recruit as stage 2, a cluster of 4 Arrow-2 as stage 3, and finally one #Arrow-2 as stage 4.
The #balloon carried the #rocket in a suspended vertical aluminum structure below it. At an altitude of 30 km, the rocket was fired straight through the balloon piercing it as it ascended.
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Project #Farside was an attempt to reach very high altitudes using a balloon in the stratosphere as launch platform. The #vector was composed of four #Recruit rockets as stage one, one Recruit as stage 2, a cluster of 4 Arrow-2 as stage 3, and finally one #Arrow-2 as stage 4.
The #balloon carried the #rocket in a suspended vertical aluminum structure below it. At an altitude of 30 km, the rocket was fired straight through the balloon piercing it as it ascended.
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Harold and Margaret Pipkorn two inhabitants of #Hermansville, Michigan pictured with the abbandoned capsule from the US Navy #Stratolab second flight that landed not far from the town on October 18, 1957.
The pilots Ross and Lewis were evacuated just after landing but the capsule located in rough terrain was recovered later.
The news of the downed craft spread quickly and prompted visits from locals, some tried to take "souvenirs" but were persuaded by FBI agents.
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On this day in 1985, a French runaway #MIR stratospheric balloon launched by #CNES in July from #Paardefontein, South Africa appeared for a few hours over Buenos Aires causing a commotion that still today is remembered. In late 90s decade, I started research on my own on this infamous #UFO case. The work I've done solving it would lead in 2005 to the creation of the only catalog of stratospheric balloon launches. It evolved into what is today the #StratoCat website.
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On this day in 1985, a French runaway #MIR stratospheric balloon launched by #CNES in July from #Paardefontein, South Africa appeared for a few hours over Buenos Aires causing a commotion that still today is remembered. In late 90s decade, I started research on my own on this infamous #UFO case. The work I've done solving it would lead in 2005 to the creation of the only catalog of stratospheric balloon launches. It evolved into what is today the #StratoCat website.
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On this day in 1985, a French runaway #MIR stratospheric balloon launched by #CNES in July from #Paardefontein, South Africa appeared for a few hours over Buenos Aires causing a commotion that still today is remembered. In late 90s decade, I started research on my own on this infamous #UFO case. The work I've done solving it would lead in 2005 to the creation of the only catalog of stratospheric balloon launches. It evolved into what is today the #StratoCat website.
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On this day in 1985, a French runaway #MIR stratospheric balloon launched by #CNES in July from #Paardefontein, South Africa appeared for a few hours over Buenos Aires causing a commotion that still today is remembered. In late 90s decade, I started research on my own on this infamous #UFO case. The work I've done solving it would lead in 2005 to the creation of the only catalog of stratospheric balloon launches. It evolved into what is today the #StratoCat website.
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On this day in 1985, a French runaway #MIR stratospheric balloon launched by #CNES in July from #Paardefontein, South Africa appeared for a few hours over Buenos Aires causing a commotion that still today is remembered. In late 90s decade, I started research on my own on this infamous #UFO case. The work I've done solving it would lead in 2005 to the creation of the only catalog of stratospheric balloon launches. It evolved into what is today the #StratoCat website.
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Flight test at Gap-Tallard, France in July 1992 for the Mars Balloon Project.
#CNES used a cluster of 4 tetrahedral auxiliary balloons to elevate the 650-kilogram #payload to 32.5 kilometers and then proceeded to deploy a #balloon similar to the one to be used on #Mars under conditions similar to those expected during the descent into the Martian atmosphere.
After successfully flying for 17 min something went wrong, #telemetry was lost, and the balloon was #destroyed
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Very rare images of the launch and aftermath of BUGS (Bristol University Gas Scintillator) a balloon-borne experiment flown by NASA over New Mexico in 1993.
During landing in Oklahoma, the payload struck a power line and sparks ignited a fire. The Ethafoam 220 used for gondola insulation caught fire, and the instrument was consumed by flames, being totally destroyed.
The last image shows charred photomultiplier tubes recovered from the payload.
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This is the "Vacuum Monster" a balloon-borne instrument to collect #interplanetary dust particles in the #stratosphere
It was developed in the 70s by Dr. Donald #Brownlee at Washington University and named after the creature in the #Beatles movie Yellow Submarine that sucked up everything.
It consisted basically of an air pump that pulled air through an array of cylindrical collection rods. Particles are collected on the oil-coated rods by inertial deposition.
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This is the "Vacuum Monster" a balloon-borne instrument to collect #interplanetary dust particles in the #stratosphere
It was developed in the 70s by Dr. Donald #Brownlee at Washington University and named after the creature in the #Beatles movie Yellow Submarine that sucked up everything.
It consisted basically of an air pump that pulled air through an array of cylindrical collection rods. Particles are collected on the oil-coated rods by inertial deposition.
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Neither intense heat nor snow nor even graduation stopped these pioneers of the Department of Physics at the University of Minnesota in their efforts to advance balloon science.
These images are from a series of technological flights performed at the General Mills balloon launch facility located in an old Airport belonging to the Univ. of Minnesota outside New Brighton.
Between 1947 and 1970, the site was one of the most active spots for launching balloons in the US.
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Neither intense heat nor snow nor even graduation stopped these pioneers of the Department of Physics at the University of Minnesota in their efforts to advance balloon science.
These images are from a series of technological flights performed at the General Mills balloon launch facility located in an old Airport belonging to the Univ. of Minnesota outside New Brighton.
Between 1947 and 1970, the site was one of the most active spots for launching balloons in the US.