At the beginning of each stratospheric balloon launch campaign, the balloon division of the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) performs an initial launch denominated "opening flight" whose goal is to test in one flight several systems (ground to balloon communications, telemetry, localization, etc.) which will be used during the rest of the missions to be carried out during that particular campaign.
Sometimes, these flights are also used to send aloft small scientific experiments.
Balloon launched on: 6/13/1998 at 07:41
Launch site: Aérodrome de Gap-Tallard, Haute Alpes, France
Balloon launched by: Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon model 35SF Zodiac - 35.000 m3
Balloon serial number: 35SF Nº 79
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 6/13/1998 at ~ 17:30
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 9 h 55 m
Payload weight: 358 kgs
Gondola weight: 106 kgs
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