Purpose of the flight and payload description

The Solar Disk Sextant (SDS) is a balloon-borne instrument whose objective is to measure the solar diameter, at different orientations, as a function of time. Results include the solar oblateness, the oscillation spectrum for use in helioseismology, and the rate of the secular variation of the solar diameter. The required instrumentation precision (a few milliarcsec) is attained by means of an objective beam splitting wedge which produces multiples solar images through consecutive reflections.

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 4/18/1989 at 11:54 utc
Launch site: Scientific Flight Balloon Facility, Fort Sumner, (NM), US  
Balloon launched by: National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon N40I-8/8T-11.62
Balloon serial number: R11.62-1I-109
Flight identification number: 266N
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 4/18/1989 at 21:30 utc
Landing site: 7 miles N of Onley, Texas, US

External references

If you consider this website interesting or useful, you can help me to keep it up and running with a small donation to cover the operational costs. Just the equivalent of the price of a cup of coffee helps a lot.



9825