For ARD (Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator)

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Launch site:Base di Lancio Luigi Broglio, Trapani, Sicilia, Italia  
Launch team: ASI
Balloon: Open balloon (zero pressure)
Volume: 104.500 m3
Serial number: -
Flight identification number: -
Campaign: - 
Payload weight: 2805 kgs
Gondola weight: 1170 kgs
Overall weight: -

After a nominal launch by dynamic method, the balloon started a slow drift to the east, and after reach ceiling changed his route due west.

After a while and to achieve the exact flight level for the launch of the model, 50 kgs of ballast were released, leveling the balloon at a height of 23.2 km.

Once over the landing zone near Marettimo island (80 kms from the west coast of Sicily)
the capsule was released and started a free fall to 14.7 km when the parachute was opened.

After that, the capsule model amerized without trouble, and was located by the recovery ship near 13:00 hs local time.  

ARD (Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator)

Responsable institution:  Alenia Spazio - European Space Agency - CNES
Principal Investigator:   

The objective of the test was the qualification of ARD's landing and recovery subsystem for a later reentry test onboard an Ariane-5 rocket.

The capsule mock-up (with sensors and cameras to analyse the dynamic behavior) was released from a height of 23 kms, and splashed in the sea under a parachute.