A CONSTANT-ALTITUDE BALLOON EXPERIMENT AT 48 KILOMETERS,
Abstract
A helium-filled, zero-pressure (internal and external pressures equal), polyethelene balloon, 28.7 million cubic feet in volume (the largest to date), was launched on 11 September 1968 from White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico to study the atmospheric tides that rocket soundings have indicated exist in the 40-60 km atmospheric region. The balloon served as a constant-level stable support for a scientific payload consisting of six instruments for the measurement of temperature, pressure, density, and related ozone and water vapor concentrations near 48 km. Radar position-time data served to determine the wind velocity. The balloon reached a record altitude of 48.5 km and then followed a predicted trajectory extending from WSMR to Twenty-Nine Palms, California. Seventeen hours of stratospheric meteorological data were obtained, with four hours being obtained in the 48 km altitude region. This paper describes the various aspects of the balloon system and its flight and lists the significant results obtained; it is intended to serve as a reference for subsequent papers related to a detailed analysis of the various records. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0703851
Entities
People
- Harold N. Ballard
- Miguel Izquierdo
- Norman J. Beyers
Organizations
- Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory