Purpose of the flight and payload description
The objective of the flight was to measure the variation of stratospheric NO2 concentrations between sunset and sunrise. The payload was composed by a visible grating spectrometer operating in the spectrum range from 410 nm to 450 nm with a resolution near 0.1 mm, which was mounted on a sun tracker and transported under the balloon.
Details of the balloon flight
Balloon launched on: 9/19/1979 at ~ 5:45 utc
Launch site: Centre de Lancement de Ballons CLBA, Aire Sur L'Adour, Landes, France
Balloon launched by: Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon model 100z Zodiac - 100.000 m3 with valve
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 9/19/1979
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): ~ 12 h
The balloon was launched by CNES, on September 19, 1979. It measured 100.000 m3 of volume and was fitted in the top of it with a valve to allow the variation of altitude by telecommand.
External references
- Vertical sounding balloons for stratospheric photochemistry Advances in Space Research, vol. 1, no. 11, 1981, p. 35
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