SUPERPRESSURE BALLOON TEST

The goal of the mission was to evaluate the flight performance of a new kind of super-pressure balloon. It was launched attached to two rubber balloons forming a so-called "tandem configuration". This allowed to add more buoyancy to the small balloon that could reach an expanded volume of 10 cubic meters. At left we can see an image of the moment of the release.

After being launched at 1:51 local time, from the Taiki Aerospace Research Field in the island of Hokkaido, the balloon ascended at a rate of 1000 feet per minute and after reaching the predetermined altitude of 23 km, it was dettached from the auxiliary balloons.

After that, the scientists were able to test the ability of the balloon to maintain the internal pressure until near 5:03 when the mission concluded.

Balloon launched on: 5/25/2013 at 1:51 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: Balloon Tandem Rubber + BSP 3 m diameter
Flight identification number: BS13-04
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 5/25/2013
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 3 h 15 m
Landing site: In the Pacific Ocean, 80 km SE of Taiki, Japan

• Details of the mission (in Japanese) ISAS website