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: 8/3/2002 at 6:12
Launch site: European Space Range, Kiruna, Sweden
Balloon launched by: Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon
Campaign: ENVISAT
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