¿What is StratoCat?
¿Do you want to help us?The StratoCat project is fed mainly with the information which I can obtain from specialized publications, scientific papers related to balloon-borne experiences, the visit to libraries and Internet. However, a lot of information exists to which I do not have access. It is there where you, dear visitor, can contribute with the project's growing. If you have related material (old technical reports, travel diaries, photographies of balloon launches campaigns, newspapers or magazines clippings, etc.), or perhaps if you had participated in the past in some experience related to the scientific ballooning and wishes to share it, please contact me and with much pleasure I will include the material in the site, with the corresponding credit of the source. I'm not an "expert" in the subject and really I'm learning on the march, thus will be also welcome any correction, modification or extension to the information provided by StratoCat |
The reason of the existence of this Website is to document and to make available to the internauts all related data about the history of the development and use of the first flying device of the man in the scientific research, the military field and the aerospace activity.
Although the main objective is historical, StratoCat will not be limited only to that, since the scientific balloning is an activity that is evolving constantly. Even today, when the space flights, and the exploration missions are almost routine, the balloon continues being a key tool of investigation for ample sectors of astronomy, astrophysics, sciences of the atmosphere and several technology areas.
This becomes evident when stating that exist in activity, more than a dozen of dedicated launch bases around the world operated by the 10 nations that have regular programs of stratospheric balloons launching, thus conforming a scientific activity of forward edge that rarely receives mediatic coverage. There, StratoCat wants to position itself like a informative point that will concentrate all the news related to the activity.
Also, as a secondary goal and aware of the fact that this ballons are superb "UFO creators", we will carry out a pursuit of the press, news agencies and internet forums to search for sightings triggered by them, triying to give a clear explanation of the real nature of the things. The final objective is to contribute with some rationality to the history of one of the most lasting modern myths.
A final warning: surely if Shakespeare return to live and read my english writing he would die again of shame, my english is not better than Tarzan's english. So be advised !
Luis E. Pacheco - Webmaster 