Purpose of the flight and payload description
This was a technical flight aimed to test a balloon-borne transponder beacon developed by the NCAR Scientific Balloon Facility. The flight was coordinated with appropriate Federal Aviation Administration tracking stations for results of interrogation and beacon response. The original plan was to launch the balloon during daylight hours and to maintain a float altitude of 80,000 ft. for a total flight time of 6 hours.
Details of the balloon flight
Balloon launched on: 4/3/1963 at 7:00 mst
Launch site: Page Airport, Arizona, US
Balloon launched by: National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon General Mills - 135.000 cuft (0.75 mil)
Flight identification number: PG2-63
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 4/4/1963 at 22:00
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 15 h
Landing site: In Stratton, Colorado, US
Payload weight: 225 lbs
Overall weight: 325 lbs
The balloon was launched from from the coffer dam in Page, Arizona at 7:00 local time on April 3, 1963. After a nominal launch and ascent the system failed to respond to command cut-down or backĀup safety timer. Last visual and radio contact with the balloon was near Buena Vista, Colorado at 17:00 hrs. Balloon lost lift during hours of darkness and descended, impacting near Stratton, Colorado at 2200 hrs.
The balloon train draped over power lines on impact and short circuited balloon control electronics. Cause of the failure remained unknown.
External references
- NCAR Scientific Balloon Facility Annual Report, 1963 National Center for Atmospheric Research, 1964
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