Purpose of the flight and payload description
The flight became a historic one: the first slowly rotating X-ray pulsar designated GX 1 + 4 was discovered; its period was measured to be about 2.3 minutes.

Details of the balloon flight
Balloon launched on: 10/15/1970
Launch site: HIBAL - Balloon Launching Station, Mildura, Victoria, Australia
Balloon launched by: ABLS Mildura
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon Winzen 33.850.000 cuft (0.45 Mil Cap. 0.5 Mil. x 2 Stratofilm)
Balloon serial number: Serial Nº 2
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 10 h
Payload weight: 1423 lbs
External references
- High-Energy X-Ray Sources Near the Galactic Equator Between l^{II} ~ 335° and l^{II} ~ 350° Astrophysical Journal, vol. 173, p.L57
|
- High-Energy X-Ray Spectra of Five Sources Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 184, pp. 237-244 (1973)
|
- Stratofilm balloon flight record - in Flight Report Issue 1, 1971 - Winzen Research Inc. (StratoCat's private collection)
|
- Rapid Fluctuations in the High-Energy X-Ray Flux from a Source in Crux Astrophysical Journal, vol. 166, p.L73
|
- Review of Recent Performance of Large Balloons and Balloons with Payloads in Excess of 3000 Pounds Proceedings, Seventh AFCRL Scientific Balloon Symposium, 1973
|
- The Star Splitters at NASA history division
|
- Vast X-Ray found on constellation Centaurus News clipping from Madison Wisconsin State Journal, March 26, 1971
|
- X-Rays from a New Variable Source GX 1+4 Astrophysical Journal, vol. 169, p.L17
Images of the mission
If you consider that this website is interesting or useful, you can help to keep it running with just the equivalent of the price of a cup of coffee. Click on the button on the right for more information.
179
|