Some improvements to StratoCat (4/30/2007)

Taking notice of the "Dry Season" concerning ballooning news, this month I made several improvements to the launch bases section of the site.

Main changes made were corrections to the information presented there and the extension of some of the histories of the several launch places. But the more important fact for our foreign language readers is that finally I made full english translations on several pages. They are:

• Europe: Andoya Rocket Range (Norway), Centre de Lancement de Ballons (France),

• Australian Continent: Australian Balloon Launch Station, (Alice Spring)

• Africa: Paardefontein tracking station, (Southafrica)

• Asia: Kamchatka, (Russian Federation)

• Northamerica: Eielson AFB and Fort Wainwright (Alaska), Bemidji Regional Airport (Minnesota), Barstow-Daggett Airport, Edwards AFB and NAAS Vernalis (California), Glass Field (Saskatchewan),

• Central America: Kindley AFB, (Bermuda)

• Southamerica: Instituto de Pesquisas Meteorologicas, Aerodromo de Birigui, Aeroporto Municipal de Poços de Caldas (Brazil)

• Ships: USS Antietam (CV-36), USS Colonial (LSD-18), USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279) and USS Valley Forge (CV-45)

Also in some cases were added historical images, and external links to satellital views of the bases. Another major change -suggested by our readers- in the stratospheric balloon launch record (choronological or by launch site) is the inclusion of a column showing the name or kind of the experiment carried out during each flight, whereas this information is available to us.

As usual, I ask StratoCat's readers to tell me about mistakes, typos and other things that may encounter while browsing the site. Thank you.

European Symposium on Balloon programmes (4/28/2007)

Gotland (Sweden).- As usual every two years, next June will be held the 18th ESA Symposium on European Rocket and Balloon Programmes and Related Research organised and sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Sweden as the hosting country. Swedish Space Corporation / Esrange is the local organiser, with support of the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB).

The meeting will take place between 3 and 7 June 2007, at Wisby Strand Congress & Event in Visby, located in Gotland which is Sweden’s biggest island.

Purpose and program

This Symposium will be the eighteenth in a series of conferences initiated in 1973 to provide a platform for scientists and engineers using sounding rockets and balloons for their research, and to advance the progress in the related scientific disciplines. The scope also includes related ground-based, aircraft and satellite research, new developments in technology, improvements of range facilities and in recent years space education.

New trends and the latest developments using sounding rockets and balloons for scientific research will be highlighted in the symposium.

The general topics are a overview of national activities of the members states on the field, new techniques and instrumentation, new trends and latest developments in the use of sounding rockets and balloons for scientific research, space-related education and combined in-situ, ground-based and satellite projects. the scientific topics include atmospheric physics and chemistry, including the thermosphere, life and physical sciences and applications in space, astrophysics, astronomy and cosmology.

Also special invited lectures will address topics like scientific interplay between the Odin satellite and coordinated rocket and balloon measurements, present status and future perspectives of atmospheric science with sounding rockets, satellite and balloon observations working together on Cosmology and dark matter, and the History of Sounding Rockets and their Contribution to Space Research, among others themes.

More information in http://www.spaceflight.esa.int/pac-symposium2007/.