PORTIA (Piggyback Room Temperature Instrument for Astronomy)

It has two room temperature semiconductor detectors housed in a small pressure vessel.

Balloon launched on: 6/1/1995 at 14:10 utc
Launch site: Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, Texas, US  
Balloon launched by: National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon SF3-215.55-080-NSHR-ST
Balloon serial number: W4.0-0-04
Flight identification number: 1540P
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 6/2/1995 at 13:13 utc
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): F 21 h 37 m
Landing site: 7 miles NE of Sterling City, Texas, US

First qualification solo flight in a small balloon. Then flown as a Piggyback payload of GRIS (Gamma-Ray Imaging Spectrometer).

• PORTIA Instrument Home Page at Goddard Space Flight Center archive
• NASA Balloon Flights (1989-1998) in NASA Historical Data Book, Vol. VII: NASA Launch Systems, Space Transportation, Human Spaceflight, and Space Science, 1989-1998