Tables of stratospheric balloons launched worldwide since 1947

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 base	Date	Flight Duration	Experiment	Payload landing place or cause of the failure
Alice Springs	4/29/2023	26 h 45 m	GRAINE (Gamma-Ray Astro-Imager with Nuclear Emulsion)	220 km S of Longreach, Queensland, Australia
Florence (AZ)	4/12/2023	4 d 20 h	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 627	Near Emen, South Dakota, US
Buckeye (AZ)	4/10/2023	3 h	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 626	Near Painted Rock Dam, Maricopa County, Arizona, US
Buckeye (AZ)	4/9/2023	7 d 22 h 20 m	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 625	South of Parker, South Dakota, US
Buckeye (AZ)	4/8/2023	8 d 22 h	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 624	Near Hurley, South Dakota, US
Hurley (SD)	4/3/2023	9 h	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 623	7 miles SW of Austin, Minnesota, US
Waimea (HI)	3/31/2023	~ 15 h	STRATOLLITE - HAWAIIAN TEST #2	Sunk in the Pacific Ocean
Hurley (SD)	3/29/2023	8 h	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 622	Near Swedona, Illinois, US
Waimea (HI)	3/27/2023	~ 15 h	STRATOLLITE - HAWAIIAN TEST #1	Sunk in the Pacific Ocean
Madras Muni. (OR)	3/18/2023	~ 2 h	PAYLOAD UNKNOWN	50 km E of Madras, Oregon, US
Fabens (TX)	3/10/2023	5 h	STRATOLLITE - SCEPTER PERMIAN TEST	60 km W from Fort Stockton, Texas, US
Hurley (SD)	3/15/2023	2 d 15 h 15 m	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 621	5 miles W of Milton, Minnesota, US
Dachaidan	9/17/2021	7 h	TC-BIOSEP (Temperature-Controlled Biological Samples Exposure Payload)	--- No Data ---
TIFR Hyderabad	2/17/2023	---	FPS100 - INFRARED TELESCOPE	In Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, India
Raven campus, Baltic (SD)	2/10/2023	1 d 21 h	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 619	26 km S of Owatonna, Minnesota, US
Raven campus, Baltic (SD)	2/7/2023	2 d 16 h	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 618	16 km S of Brainerd, Minnesota, US
Santa Fe County (NM)	2/1/2023	3 d 11 h 49 m	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 617	Last known position in the Atlantic Ocean, 220 km ESE of Savannah, Georgia, US
Santa Fe County (NM)	1/31/2023	2 d 8 h 49 m	THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 616	12 km SSW of Encino, New Mexico, US
Los Alamos (NM)	3/16/1959	~ 11 h	NUCLEAR EMULSION	--- No Data ---
ESRANGE	1/30/1992	---	SAOZ (Systeme d'Analyse par Observation Zenithale)	--- No Data ---
Aire Sur L'Adour	10/16/1979	---	STRATOSPHERIC WATER VAPOUR MEASUREMENTS	--- No Data ---
Aire Sur L'Adour	9/17/1979	---	OZONOMETER	--- No Data ---
Yorkton (SK)	8/19/1977	---	STRATOPROBE IV	--- No Data ---
Yorkton (SK)	8/25/1976	22 h 30 m	FAR INFRARED MICHELSON INTERFEROMETER	--- No Data ---
Siple Dome	1/14/1981	35 h 30 m	X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR	--- No Data ---
Siple Dome	1/13/1981	35 h 30 m	X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR	--- No Data ---
Siple Dome	1/5/1981	38 h	X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR	--- No Data ---
Siple Dome	12/30/1980	32 h	X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR	--- No Data ---
Siple Dome	12/15/1980	15 h 30 m	X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR	--- No Data ---
Seattle (WA)	6/25/1964	---	X-RAY MEASUREMENTS	--- No Data ---

Stratospheric balloons

Chronological lists of launches worldwide since 1947

Total number of balloon launches in the database: 15210

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

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