24-INCH TELESCOPE + SPECTROMETER

Developed by University of Denver / Tufts University

Balloon launched on 4/13/1968, from Holloman Air Force Base, Alamogordo, New Mexico, US

Purpose of the flight and payload description

The payload was composed by a Spectrometer constructed at the University of Denver that employed a circular variable filter as the dispersing element and a liquid-helium-cooled Cu:Ge cell as a detector. The instrument was mounted in the 24-inch telescope and lunar tracking system developed by Alvin Howell of Tufts University. This system used gold-coated beryllium mirrors in the cassegrain telescope with the spectrometer mounted on the rear of the primary mirror.

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 4/13/1968
Launch site: Holloman Air Force Base, Alamogordo, New Mexico, US  
Balloon launched by: Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories (AFCRL)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon  
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 4/13/1968
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 6 h 30 m
Landing site: 17 miles N of Cavern City, New Mexico, US

In this flight, the thermal emission spectrums (7.0 to 13.5 µ) of six selected areas on the lunar surface were measured from an altitude of 32 km and their spectral emissivities calculated.

External references

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