Purpose of the flight and payload description

The objective of the flight was to perform a high altitude mission to try to break the world altitude record established by the same agency in 2002.

The single-capped balloon was manufactured by JAXA using a ultra thin film of new design that measured only 2.8 micrometers thick and had a volume of 80.000 m3.

The balloon transported a payload of 3 kg, was launched as mission BS13-08 on September 20th, at 5:22 local time (September 19th at 20:22 according to UTC time). The balloon rose in 2 hours and 42 minutes and established a new world record mark of 53.7 km. The mark was confirmed by JAXA using a GPS located at the bottom of the balloon, which measured the altitude in WGS-84 coordinates.

Once the mark was set, the mission was terminated as usual by radiocommand from the operations center of the Taiki base.

This was the sixth attempt to break the previous mark of 53 km since was set by the same agency in 2002.

Video footage of the balloon launch

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 9/20/2013 at 5:22 jst
Launch site: Multipurpose Aviation Research Field, Taiki-Cho, Hokkaido, Japan  
Balloon launched by: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) / Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon model B80 80.000 m3
Flight identification number: BS13-08
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 9/22/2013 at 8:04 jst
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 2 h 42 m
Landing site: In the Pacific Ocean

External references

Images of the mission

         

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