In the table below you will find the records of stratospheric balloons launched from different countries during 1949, which are currently available in StratoCat's database. Each row displays essential information such as the launch base, date and time of launch, and, if known, the mission duration and landing site of the payload. Clicking on the experiment name will offer details about the scientific institutions involved, a summary of the experiment's purpose and results, and other relevant information on the balloon flight, including references and images. Clicking on the arrows at the top and the bottom of the table you can move to other year's tables.
| Launch base | Date | Flight Duration | Experiment | Payload landing place or cause of the failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 TIFR Hyderabad | 1/17 | F 6 h | BEENS (Balloon Experiment on the Electrodynamics of Near Space) | Jalsangi village in Bidar district, Karnataka, India |
 Hurley (SD) | 1/24 | --- | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 716 | NE of Bethany, Illinois, US |
| Hurley (SD) | 2/7 | 127 d | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 717 | 15 miles NE of Eagle Pass, Texas, US |
| Hurley (SD) | 2/22 | 6 h | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 719 | Near Ottumwa, Iowa, US |
| Hurley (SD) | 2/22 | 5 h 50 m | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 718 | Near Harvey, Iowa, US |
| Yakima (WA) | 3/7 | --- | LIGHTNING - STATIC FOCUS 3 | --- No Data --- |
| Chamberlain Muni (SD) | 3/17 | 28 h | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 724 | E of Spooner, Wisconsin, US |
| Webster (SD) | 3/20 | 24 h | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 725 | Last known position near Amiret, Minnesota, USA |
| Webster (SD) | 3/21 | --- | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 726 | Wof Sibley, Iowa, US |
 Atlas Alpha Jaen | 3/26 | --- | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | --- No Data --- |
| Hurley (SD) | 3/28 | 4 h 45 m | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 727 | Near Hudson, Iowa, US |
| TIFR Hyderabad | 3/29 | 9 h | FPS100 - INFRARED TELESCOPE | Near Sangole, India |
| Hurley (SD) | 4/15 | 61 d | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 728 | 60 km NNE of Lamar, Colorado, US |
| Tillamook (OR) | 4/15 | 15 m | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 729 | 6 km S from launch site |
 Wanaka | 4/16 | 17 d 13 h 47 m | HIWIND (High-altitude Interferometer WIND Experiment) | Sank in the Pacific Ocean in a point located 285 miles SE of Chatham Islands |
| Hurley (SD) | 4/23 | 10 h | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 730 | Near St.James, Minnesota, US |
| Wanaka | 5/4 | 9 d 6 h 36 m | SUPER-PRESSURE BALLOON TEST SN12 | 25 nautical miles NW of Estancia Los Alamos, Chubut, Argentina |
 Queensland | 5/5 | 11 h 12 m | SZ-155 STRATOSPHERIC AIRSHIP | --- No Data --- |
| Vidalia (GA) | 5/6 | 1 h 10 m | LIGHTNING FLIGHT 731 | In Fort Stewart, Georgia, US |
| Hurley (SD) | 5/8 | 144 d | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 732 | SE of Waterloo, Iowa, US |
| Nogales (AZ) | 5/14 | 35 m | LIGHTNING 734 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | Near Nogales, US |
| Nogales (AZ) | 5/16 | 10 h | LIGHTNING 738 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | W of Wilcox, Arizona, US |
| Nogales (AZ) | 5/16 | 10 h 30 m | LIGHTNING 737 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | NW of Wilcox, Arizona, US |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/17 | 30 m | LIGHTNING 749 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | In Fort Huachuca, Arizona, US |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/17 | 20 m | LIGHTNING 750 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | In Fort Huachuca, Arizona, US |
| Four Pillars (AZ) | 5/19 | 10 m | LIGHTNING 739 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | --- No Data --- |
| Twentynine Palms (CA) | 5/20 | 124 d | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 756 | 40 km E of Moriarty, New Mexico, US |
| Four Pillars (AZ) | 5/21 | 9 h | LIGHTNING 742 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | SE of Wilcox, Arizona, US |
| Empire Ranch (AZ) | 5/21 | 9 h 15 m | LIGHTNING 736 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | SE of Wilcox, Arizona, US |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/22 | 1 h | LIGHTNING 751 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | Near Tombstone, Arizona, US |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/23 | 27 h | LIGHTNING 761 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | NW of Wilcox, Arizona, US |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/23 | 30 h | LIGHTNING 743 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | Last known position N of Wilcox, Arizona, US |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/23 | 32 h | LIGHTNING 744 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | Between Safford and Wilcox, Arizona, US |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/25 | 31 h | LIGHTNING 746 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | --- No Data --- |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/25 | 32 h | LIGHTNING 747 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | --- No Data --- |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/25 | 31 h 6 m | LIGHTNING 745 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | --- No Data --- |
| Ft. Huachuca (AZ) | 5/25 | 45 m | LIGHTNING 752 - ARCANE THUNDER 25 | --- No Data --- |
 Andennes | 5/31 | 28 h | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 762 | In the Norwegian Sea |
 Taiki | 6/6 | ~ 2 h | HIGH-PRECISION VERIFICATION OF GENERAL RELATIVITY BY LASER FREQUENCY COMPARISON (III-1) | In the Pacific Ocean, 100 km E of Taiki, Japan |
| Taiki | 6/12 | ~ 2 h | RERA #5 (Rubber balloon Experiment for Reentry capsule with thin-type Aeroshell) | In the Pacific Ocean, 130 km E of Taiki, Japan |
| Page (AZ) | 6/16 | 7 h | TECHRISE STUDENT CHALLENGE | 100 km SE of Page, Arizona, US |
| Taiki | 6/20 | 3 h | DREAM (Demonstration ExpeRiment of Alignment Monitor) | In the Pacific Ocean, 30 km SE of Taiki, Japan |
| Madras Muni. (OR) | 6/27 | 12 d | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 771 | E of Wakonda, South Dakota, US |
| Page (AZ) | 6/30 | 4 h 20 m | OPTIMUS-2 | 100 km SE of Page, Arizona, US |
| Taiki | 7/4 | ~ 2 h | RERA #6 (Rubber balloon Experiment for Reentry capsule with thin-type Aeroshell) | In the Pacific Ocean, 50 km ESE of Taiki, Japan |
 ESRANGE | 7/7 | ~ 4 h | EXO-MARS HADT (High Altitude Drop Test) | --- No Data --- |
| Taiki | 7/8 | 3 h 40 m | CRYOGENIC SAMPLER | In the Pacific Ocean, 40 km SE of Taiki, Japan |
| JB Elmendorf-Richardson (AK) | 8/5 | 50 d | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 774 - ARCTIC EDGE 2025 | In the Pacific Ocean, 1500 km NE of Minami Torishima |
| Apalachicola (FL) | 8/6 | 3 h 20 m | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | In the Gulf of Mexico, 70 km SE of Panama City, Florida, US |
| Nordmela | 8/13 | ~ 3 h | IRSA (Integrated Remote Sensing for the Arctic) | In Andfjorden Fiord, Norway |
| TIFR Hyderabad | 8/14 | 1 h | ATAL (Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer) | In Murganoor village, Kuranhalli, Karnataka, India |
| TIFR Hyderabad | 8/17 | 1 h | ATAL (Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer) | In Nagulpalle, Telangana, India |
 Timmins (ON) | 8/19 | 6 h 13 m | AIRCORE | --- No Data --- |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 8/21 | 5 h 4 m | SALTER TEST FLIGHT | --- No Data --- |
| Timmins (ON) | 8/21 | 13 h 42 m | CASOLBA | --- No Data --- |
| Taiki | 8/23 | ~ 2 h | HIGH-PRECISION VERIFICATION OF GENERAL RELATIVITY BY LASER FREQUENCY COMPARISON (III-2) | In the Pacific Ocean, 80 km ESE of Taiki, Japan |
| Timmins (ON) | 8/31 | 3 h 6 m | BVAX | --- No Data --- |
| Taiki | 8/31 | ~ 1 h | SUPERPRESSURE BALLOON TEST | In the Pacific Ocean, 35 km ESE of Taiki, Japan |
| Timmins (ON) | 9/2 | 13 h 56 m | LOWSTRAT | --- No Data --- |
| Spaceport Tucson (AZ) | 9/3 | 49 days | STRATOLLITE - GRYPHON RETROFIT | S of Sterling City, Texas, US |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 9/4 | 11 h 40 m | HASP 2025 (High Altitude Student Platform 2.0) | 130 km SW of Albuquerque, New Mexico, US |
| Spaceport Tucson (AZ) | 9/9 | 16 h | STRATOLLITE - UNITAS | 60 km NW of Silver City, New Mexico, US |
| Hurley (SD) | 9/10 | 5 h 35 m | COMPACT NAVIGATION MODULE | SE of Bloomfield, Nebraska, US |
| Santa Fe County (NM) | 9/12 | 38 d | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 786 | South of De Witt, Iowa, US |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 9/14 | JPL REMOTE | SW of Albuquerque, New Mexico, US | |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 9/14 | 8 h 45 m | CDCP (Cosmic Dust Collection Prototype) | SE of Vaughn, New Mexico, US |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 9/15 | 8 h 20 m | ELVES (Electron Losses driven by VLF Emissions) | --- No Data --- |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 9/19 | 4 h 50 m | BOOP (Balloon Program Office, Optimization Opportunity Payload) | --- No Data --- |
| Roswell (NM) | 9/22 | --- | SCEYE- STRATOSPHERIC AIRSHIP | --- No Data --- |
| Fort Sumner (NM) | 10/1 | 21 h | PICTURE-D (Planetary Imaging Coronagraph Testbed Using a Recoverable Experiment for Debris Disks) | Near Edmonson, Texas, US |
| ESRANGE | 10/8 | F 4 h 47 m | BEXUS 37 (Balloon EXperiments for University Students) | In Finland |
| ESRANGE | 10/10 | --- | BEXUS 36 (Balloon EXperiments for University Students) | Aborted flight |
| La Gomera | 11/17 | 2 h 10 m | ROCKOON SYSTEM TEST FLIGHT | In the Atlantic Ocean, 37 km Sse from La Gomera |
 McMurdo | 12/15 | 25 d 2 h 53 m | GAPS (General AntiParticle Spectrometer) | 60 km al SE de la Estacion McMurdo, Antartida |
| McMurdo | 12/19 | 23 d 9 h 52 m | PUEO (Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations) | In the East Antarctic Plateau, 255 km from the South Pole, Antarctica |
| McMurdo | 12/20 | 5 d 2 h 6 m | HICAL II | On the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, near Queen Maud Land, Antarctica |
| McMurdo | 12/20 | 12 d 12 m | HICAL I | On the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica |
About StratoCat
Some Statistics
+ 20 articles from different contributors
+ 15914 balloon launch records already published
+ 16008 balloon launch records in the full database
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