In the tables that we present here you will find the complete record of stratospheric balloon launches available in our database separated for years and ordered chronologically. Note that the data entered so far in our database are about 65% of all balloon launch activity worldwide from 1947 to date, so it should not be taken as suitable values for statistics of any kind. It is likely that the process of consolidating all the data available still will take several years to complete.


The little number in the blue badge indicates in each case, the number of records that Stratocat hold in the database for that particular year. Clicking on each year number, you can access tables containing as much as possible information on the missions performed that year: launch base, duration of the flight, purpose of the mission and landing place of the payload. In some cases, clicking in the experiment's name you will access a complete flight data sheet featuring a detailed account of the balloon operations as well the scientific experiments carried, their purpose, results, related links and when available images of different instances of the mission.


Finally in the table at the bottom of this page you will find a snapshot of the last thirty records incorporated to our database.


Total number of balloon launches in the database: 15210

1947

16

1948

21

1949

46

1950

14

1951

64

1952

140

1953

532

1954

312

1955

334

1956

820

1957

482

1958

879

1959

495

1960

408

1961

405

1962

378

1963

308

1964

460

1965

459

1966

436

1967

364

1968

295

1969

325

1970

357

1971

240

1972

253

1973

236

1974

165

1975

266

1976

210

1977

207

1978

184

1979

227

1980

168

1981

138

1982

144

1983

143

1984

102

1985

108

1986

99

1987

103

1988

113

1989

102

1990

127

1991

112

1992

137

1993

85

1994

110

1995

113

1996

74

1997

110

1998

106

1999

125

2000

123

2001

96

2002

81

2003

82

2004

79

2005

128

2006

109

2007

73

2008

63

2009

50

2010

61

2011

56

2012

96

2013

196

2014

62

2015

50

2016

45

2017

119

2018

193

2019

280

2020

270

2021

152

2022

72

2023

17

Last 30 records incorporated into our database (last update 6-May-2023 - 05:40:21pm)

Launch baseDateFlight DurationExperimentPayload landing place or cause of the failure
Alice Springs4/29/202326 h 45 mGRAINE (Gamma-Ray Astro-Imager with Nuclear Emulsion)220 km S of Longreach, Queensland, Australia
Florence (AZ)4/12/20234 d 20 hTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 627Near Emen, South Dakota, US
Buckeye (AZ)4/10/20233 hTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 626Near Painted Rock Dam, Maricopa County, Arizona, US
Buckeye (AZ)4/9/20237 d 22 h 20 mTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 625South of Parker, South Dakota, US
Buckeye (AZ)4/8/20238 d 22 hTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 624Near Hurley, South Dakota, US
Hurley (SD)4/3/20239 hTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 6237 miles SW of Austin, Minnesota, US
Waimea (HI)3/31/2023~ 15 hSTRATOLLITE - HAWAIIAN TEST #2Sunk in the Pacific Ocean
Hurley (SD)3/29/20238 hTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 622Near Swedona, Illinois, US
Waimea (HI)3/27/2023~ 15 hSTRATOLLITE - HAWAIIAN TEST #1Sunk in the Pacific Ocean
Madras Muni. (OR)3/18/2023~ 2 hPAYLOAD UNKNOWN50 km E of Madras, Oregon, US
Fabens (TX)3/10/20235 hSTRATOLLITE - SCEPTER PERMIAN TEST60 km W from Fort Stockton, Texas, US
Hurley (SD)3/15/20232 d 15 h 15 mTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 6215 miles W of Milton, Minnesota, US
Dachaidan9/17/20217 hTC-BIOSEP (Temperature-Controlled Biological Samples Exposure Payload)--- No Data ---
TIFR Hyderabad2/17/2023---FPS100 - INFRARED TELESCOPEIn Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, India
Raven campus, Baltic (SD)2/10/20231 d 21 hTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 61926 km S of Owatonna, Minnesota, US
Raven campus, Baltic (SD)2/7/20232 d 16 hTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 61816 km S of Brainerd, Minnesota, US
Santa Fe County (NM)2/1/20233 d 11 h 49 mTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 617Last known position in the Atlantic Ocean, 220 km ESE of Savannah, Georgia, US
Santa Fe County (NM)1/31/20232 d 8 h 49 mTHUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 61612 km SSW of Encino, New Mexico, US
Los Alamos (NM)3/16/1959~ 11 hNUCLEAR EMULSION--- No Data ---
ESRANGE1/30/1992---SAOZ (Systeme d'Analyse par Observation Zenithale)--- No Data ---
Aire Sur L'Adour10/16/1979---STRATOSPHERIC WATER VAPOUR MEASUREMENTS--- No Data ---
Aire Sur L'Adour9/17/1979---OZONOMETER--- No Data ---
Yorkton (SK)8/19/1977---STRATOPROBE IV--- No Data ---
Yorkton (SK)8/25/197622 h 30 mFAR INFRARED MICHELSON INTERFEROMETER--- No Data ---
Siple Dome1/14/198135 h 30 mX-RAY + VLF DETECTOR--- No Data ---
Siple Dome1/13/198135 h 30 mX-RAY + VLF DETECTOR--- No Data ---
Siple Dome1/5/198138 hX-RAY + VLF DETECTOR--- No Data ---
Siple Dome12/30/198032 hX-RAY + VLF DETECTOR--- No Data ---
Siple Dome12/15/198015 h 30 mX-RAY + VLF DETECTOR--- No Data ---
Seattle (WA)6/25/1964---X-RAY MEASUREMENTS--- No Data ---