Purpose of the flight and payload description

The objective of the flight was to test a new system developed by the Laboratory for Middle Atmosphere and Global Environment Observation (LAGEOS), of the Chinese Academy os Sciences. The payload consisted in a specially designed gondola that will drop small meteorological sondes from the stratosphere that will fall to the ground on parachute. These drop-sondes can mesure the air temperature, air pressure, humidity, and wind direction from the height on which are released to the ground.

The aim of the project is to develop a system able to measure these parameters along wide distances providing weather monitoring and data on the low stratospheric dynamics in places such as oceans and deserts.

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 8/5/2009 at 6:46 local time
Launch site: Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia, China  
Balloon launched by: Institute of Optoelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon 1.000 m3
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 8/5/2009 at 12:08 local time
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 5 h 20 m
Payload weight: 45 kg

The balloon -measuring 1000 m3 of volume- was launched at 6:46 local time in August 5th, 2009 from Xilin-Gol, in the Inner Mongolia region. The gondola which contained the dropsonde system weighted 45 kg. The balloon reached float altitude of 25 km at 8:35. The first GPS radiosonde was dropped at 9:36. following a nominal descent on which the data was received on the ground without trouble. A new radiosonde was dropped at 10:45 also with identical result.

Finally at 12:08 the gondola was separated from the balloon, and by 13:00 it was on the ground from where it was recovered succesfuly.

External references

Images of the mission

         

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