In the table below you will find the records of stratospheric balloons launched from different countries and places during 1981, which are currently available in StratoCat's database. Each row shows basic data about the launch base from which departed, date and time of the launch, and if available the duration of the mission and the site of termination or landing place of the payload.
Regarding the kind of payload or experiment transported in each balloon mission, if you click the experiment name a text will be displayed showing the name of the scientific institutions involved in that mission, a brief resume of the purpose of the experiment carried onboard as well the scientific results obtained, and other information of relevance from that particular mission. Finaly at the bottom of the window there are links to external references. In some cases, these references are available throught scientific websites or journals for free. In other cases however, the information was published on journals only accesible throught direct suscription or using the access provided by Universities or research centers.
| Launch base | Date | Flight Duration | Experiment | Payload landing place or cause of the failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Siple Dome | 1/5 | 38 h | X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
| Siple Dome | 1/7 | 4 h | X-RAY + ELECTRIC FIELD + VLF DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
| Siple Dome | 1/13 | 35 h 30 m | X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
| Siple Dome | 1/14 | 35 h 30 m | X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
 Laramie (WY) | 1/15 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
 Guaratinguetá (SP) | 1/29 | --- | SKY ANCHOR XII | Main balloon failure |
| Guaratinguetá (SP) | 2/2 | 4.51 mb | RACCOON (Radiation Controlled Balloon) | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 2/12 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 2/19 | 11 h | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES / STUB DUCT TEST FLIGHT | 10 Miles SE of Manny, Louisiana, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 2/20 | F 11 h | BMLS (Balloon-borne Microwave Limb Sounder) | 5 Miles W Of Newton , Texas, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 3/9 | 8 h 55 m | POSITIVE ION MEASUREMENTS | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 3/19 | 4 h 10 m | SOLAR IR MEASUREMENTS | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 3/20 | F 6 h 15 m | STUB DUCT TEST FLIGHT | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 3/23 | 5 h | FOURIER TRANSFORM SPECTROMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 3/24 | --- | STATIC LAUNCH TEST | Nsbf Launch Pad |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 4/1 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 4/5 | 5 h 40 m | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 4/6 | F 9 h 20 m | COMMUNICATION TEST | 10 Miles S of Laurel, Mississippi, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 4/6 | F 12 h | COMMUNICATION TEST | 20 Miles SW of Montgomery, Alabama, US |
| Barking Sands (HI) | 4/6 | 19 h 30 m | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 4/9 | 5 h 50 m | SOLAR IRRADIANCE MEASUREMENTS | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 4/9 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| S.J.dos Campos (SP) | 4/14 | 5 h | ELECTRIC FIELD | In Caraguatatuba - Sao Paulo |
 TIFR Hyderabad | 4/20 | 4 h 30 m | X-RAY STUDIES | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 4/22 | --- | UV SPECTROMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 4/24 | --- | TEST FLIGHT OF BALLOON MADE OF NEW MATERIAL | Balloon failure at launch |
| Palestine (TX) | 4/25 | F 12 h | HIGH RESOLUTION IR SOLAR OBSERVATION | 11 Miles E of El Dorado, Arkansas, US |
| Barking Sands (HI) | 4/27 | 1 h 30 m | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | Near the launch site |
| Laramie (WY) | 5/5 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/7 | F 22 h | MSBS (Mass Spectrometer-Beam System) | 3 Miles NW of Mineola, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/7 | F 5 h | UV O3 PHOTOMETER + LYMAN ALPHA HYGROMETER | 10 Miles SW of Lufkin, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/7 | F 21 h | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 15 Miles NE of Gainesville, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/11 | F 18 h 40 m | BMLS (Balloon-borne Microwave Limb Sounder) | 23 Miles SE of Ft. Stockton, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/11 | F 15 h | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 26 Miles W of Ft. Stockton, Texas, US |
| Laramie (WY) | 5/14 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
 Sanriku | 5/17 | --- | STATIC LAUNCH METHOD VERIFICATION | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 5/21 | --- | STRATOSPHERIC WATER VAPOUR MEASUREMENTS | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 5/26 | --- | HIGH ENERGY PARTICLES OBSERVATION | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 5/27 | --- | BOOMERANG FLIGHT TEST | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 5/28 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
 Paardefontein | 5/28 | + 116 d | ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY STUDY + GRAVITY WAVES | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 5/31 | --- | DFS (Direct Flow Sampler) + CRYOGENIC SAMPLER | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 5/31 | --- | POINTING SYSTEM VERIFICATION OF AN INFRARED TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/2 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 6/3 | --- | TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 6/4 | 8 h | DFS (Direct Flow Sampler) + CRYOGENIC SAMPLER | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 6/4 | --- | ATMOSPHERIC INFRARED ABSORPTION SPECTRUM | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 6/5 | --- | MAGNETOMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 6/6 | F 24 h | GAMMA RAY EXPERIMENT | 18 Miles SW of Corona, New Mexico, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 6/7 | F 5 h 50 m | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES / STUB DUCT TEST FLIGHT | 7 Miles SW of Dublin, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 6/8 | F 11 h 30 m | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 14 Miles SW of Coleman, Texas, US |
| Sanriku | 6/9 | --- | PAYLOAD RECOVERY SYSTEM DROP TEST | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/10 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Paardefontein | 6/10 | 17 d | MIR (Montgolfier Infra-Rouge) | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 6/10 | --- | MICROGRAVITY TEST | --- No Data --- |
 Gap-Tallard | 6/12 | --- | MASS SPECTROMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/17 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Gap-Tallard | 6/19 | 14 h | OPTICAL OZONESONDE | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/22 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Gap-Tallard | 6/24 | --- | SOLAR SPECTROGRAPH | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 6/25 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Gap-Tallard | 6/25 | 7 h 30 m | OPTICAL OZONESONDE | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/27 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
 Trapani | 6/29 | 18 h 5 m | CLYTONEE | 100 km N of Sevilla, Spain |
| Palestine (TX) | 6/30 | F 12 h 30 m | OBSERVATIONS OF ANISOTROPIES OF COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND | 40 Miles N of Pecos, Texas, US |
 Gimli (MB) | 7/?? | --- | SOLAR TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 7/2 | F 13 h | OBSERVATIONS OF ANISOTROPIES OF COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND | 30 Miles SW of Pecos Texas, US |
| Trapani | 7/6 | 2 h | POLIFEMO | Near Sciacca, Sicily, Italy |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 7/7 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 7/8 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 7/13 | --- | ASHCAN | Balloon failure during inflation |
| Laramie (WY) | 7/14 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 7/14 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 7/14 | --- | ASHCAN | Balloon failure at launch |
| Trapani | 7/14 | 16 h 28 m | MINIZEBRA | 50 km N of Huelva, Spain |
| Laramie (WY) | 7/18 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Roswell Muni. (NM) | 7/21 | ~ 4 h | BAMM II (Balloon Altitude Mosaic Measurements) | In White Sands Rocket Range, New Mexico, US |
| Trapani | 7/21 | 16 h 02 m | POKER-HXR81M | Near Llerena, 100 km N of Sevilla, Spain |
| Palestine (TX) | 7/24 | --- | SOLAR CELL CALIBRATION | Balloon failure during inflation |
| Palestine (TX) | 7/25 | F 7 h | SOLAR CELL CALIBRATION | 43 miles NW of Big Springs, Texas, US |
| Trapani | 8/3 | 15 h 02 m | ULYSEE | 60 km N of Sevilla, Spain |
| Laramie (WY) | 8/4 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Trapani | 8/6 | 23 h 30 m | TXC (Transient X-RAY Camera) - ENEA | 60 km N of Sevilla, Spain |
| Palestine (TX) | 8/11 | F 6 h 20 m | STUB DUCT TEST FLIGHT | 8 miles NE of Colman, Texas, US |
| Laramie (WY) | 8/20 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 8/22 | 13 h 30 m | FAR INFRARED EXPERIMENT | 13 miles S of Midland, Texas, US |
| Gimli (MB) | 8/27 | --- | CERENKOV-SCINTILLATION COUNTER TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 8/29 | --- | VERIFICATION OF ATTITUDE CONTROL SYSTEM | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 9/2 | --- | GRAB SAMPLER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/5 | --- | HIGH RESOLUTION IR SOLAR OBSERVATION | 30 miles E of Waco, Texas, US |
| Sanriku | 9/5 | 13 h | SOLAR TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/6 | 15 h 50 m | BIRAP (Balloon InfraRed Astronomy Platform) | 20 miles SE of Pecos, Texas, US |
| Greenville (SC) | 9/9 | F 45 h | SKY ANCHOR XIII | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/10 | F 12 h 20 m | U.V. EXPERIMENT | 51 miles S of San Angelo, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/12 | F 15 h 45 m | GOLDENER DRACHE TELESKOP | 30 miles W of Ozona, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/14 | 15 h 25 m | 60 CM INFRARED TELESCOPE | 12 miles W of Brownwood, Texas, US |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 9/14 | --- | MASS SPECTROMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 9/18 | --- | SPECTROPHOTOMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/19 | --- | ULTRAVIOLET EXPERIMENT | 5 miles W of Alto, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/21 | F 22 h 30 m | CRYOGENIC SAMPLER (NCAR) | 10 miles S of Vernon, Texas, US |
| Sanriku | 9/21 | --- | GLIDING PARACHUTE TEST | --- No Data --- |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 9/21 | --- | PACIMS (Passive Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry) | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/23 | F 25 h 15 m | ULTRAVIOLET EXPERIMENT | 35 miles W of Pecos, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/23 | 13 h 40 m | FAR INFRARED EXPERIMENT | 15 miles SW of Waco, Texas, US |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 9/24 | --- | SPECTROMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/28 | F 26 h | XG EXPERIMENT | 20 miles SE of Portales, NeW Mexico, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/28 | 22 h | HEXE (High Energy X-Ray Experiment) | 32 miles SW of Dalhart, Texas, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 9/29 | 5 h 15 m | BIMS (Balloon Borne Ion Mass Spectrometer) | 16 miles NE of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, US |
| Sanriku | 9/29 | --- | OBSERVATION OF STRATOSPHERIC OZONE | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/30 | --- | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | Balloon failure at 53.000 ft. Landing 8 miles SW of Alto, Texas, US |
| Sanriku | 9/30 | ~ 30 h | HECRO 81 (High Energy primary Cosmic Ray Observation) | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 10/1 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/7 | --- | CHLORINE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS | Balloon failure at launch |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/7 | 6 h 15 m | SCRIBE (Stratospheric CRyogenic Interferometer Balloon Experiment) | 39 miles NE of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/8 | 54 h 30 m | CHLORINE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS | 21 miles NE of Farmington, Missouri, US |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 10/8 | --- | CRYOGENIC SAMPLER (KFA) | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 10/10 | --- | JACEE 3 (Japanese-American Collaborative Emulsion Experiment) - Failure | Aborted Flight |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 10/17 | --- | PACIMS (Passive Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry) | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 10/19 | F 7 h 54 m | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 28 miles SW of Longview, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 10/19 | 18 h 10 m | COSMIC BACKGROUND RADIATION | 22 miles N of Greenwood, Mississippi, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/20 | 4 h 15 m | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 13.5 miles SE of Roswell, New Mexico, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/27 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 11/2 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 11/4 | ~ 12.00 h | RADIOMETER 90 GHZ | 6 miles SE of Leaksville, Mississippi, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 11/4 | 10 h 20 m | NO/NO2 CHEMILUMINESCENCE DETECTOR + UV O3 PHOTOMETER | 25 miles S of Monroe, Louisiana, US |
| Laramie (WY) | 11/5 | 1 h 30 m | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Nagashima | 11/10 | 84 h 31 m | DOUBLE EAGLE V (Abruzzo - Aoki - Clark - Newman) | Near Covelo, California, US |
 Alice Springs | 11/10 | 24 h 30 m | UCR GAMMA RAY TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 11/20 | F 8 h 30 m | ENGINEERING TEST FLIGHT | 3 miles S of Clinton, Louisiana, US |
| Alice Springs | 11/20 | 19 h | LEGS (Low Energy Gamma-ray Spectrometer) | 300 miles W of Alice Springs, Australia |
| Alice Springs | 11/21 | 30 h 5 m | BELL/SANDIA GAMMA RAY TELESCOPE | 311 miles WNW of Alice Springs, Australia |
| S.J.dos Campos (SP) | 11/28 | 7 h | MASER 24,5 ghz | In Manuel - Sao Paulo |
| Laramie (WY) | 11/30 | --- | OZONE DETECTORS TEST | --- No Data --- |
| Alice Springs | 12/1 | --- | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | Balloon failure |
| Alice Springs | 12/1 | F 12 h | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | --- No Data --- |
| Alice Springs | 12/1 | F 10 h 10 m | UTIC 81 (University of Tasmania / Imperial College 1981) | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 12/7 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 12/9 | F 4 h 40 m | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 21 miles of Natchez, Mississippi, US |
| S.J.dos Campos (SP) | 12/18 | 5 h 43 m | X-RAY DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
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