High altitude balloon

High altitude balloon


BLAST high altitude balloon just before launch on June 12, 2005

High altitude balloons are unmanned balloons, usually filled with helium, that are released into the upper atmosphere, generally reaching between 60,000 and 120,000 feet (18,000 - 36,500m).

The most common type of high altitude balloon are weather balloons, although there are many other purposes to which such balloons can be put. Many scientific groups and universities use them to conduct experiments in the upper atmosphere, and modern balloons generally contain electronic equipment such as radio transmitters, cameras, and sometimes a satellite navigation system, such as GPS.

These balloons are launched into what is termed "near space" - the area of Earth's atmosphere where there is very little air, but which is not high enough to be in the realm of satellites.

A seasonal vortex in Antarctica allows balloons to be recovered very close to their launch site, making it a popular location for balloon-based research.

Due to the low cost of GPS and communications equipment, high altitude ballooning is an emerging hobby. [ [http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/26/diy-balloon-sent-up.html "DIY balloon sent up 30km"] Boing Boing dated 26 October 2007. Recovered on 8 June 2008]

ee also

*Altitude sickness
*High-altitude airship
*Manned balloon altitude records
*Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility

External links

* [http://www.eoss.org/ Edge of Space Sciences Colorado]
* [http://www.natrium42.com/halo/flight2/ HALO - High ALtitude Object]
* [http://www.cuspaceflight.co.uk/ Cambridge University Spaceflight]
* [http://nearspaceventures.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi Near Space Ventures - Kansas City, MO]
* [http://www.csbf.nasa.gov/index.html Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility]
* [http://www.sscl.iastate.edu/habet Iowa State University - High Altitude Balloon Experiments in Technology]
* [http://space.weber.edu/harbor HARBOR: High Altitude Reconnaissance Balloon for Outreach and Research]
* [http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Lighter_than_air/Balloons_and_Space/LTA17.htm US Centennial of Flight essay on balloons as forerunners to space travel]
* [http://macfreak4.homeunix.com/projects/ensure/index.html E.N.S.U.R.E.1 Electronic Near-Space Utility for Recovery and Experimentation]
* [http://www.pegasushabproject.org.uk Pegasus High Altitude Balloon Project]
* [http://balloon.utarc.org University of Tennessee Amateur Radio Club - Balloon Mission]
* [http://www.ansr.org Arizona Near Space Research]
* [http://cygnus.moo.pl Cygnus High Altitude Balloon]
* [http://stratocat.com.ar/indexe.html Stratocat - Historical recopilation project on the use of stratospheric balloons in the scientific research, the military field and the aerospace activity]

References


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