PATHFINDER - 3

The balloon carried a payload of approximately 3 kg composed of a ARGOS transponder with a GPS board and a Lithium battery pack.

The flight plan called for the balloon reach float altitude and circumnavigate the polar region between 78 and 80 deg. N. Throught the GPS/ARGOS payload the trajectory would be traced showing the stratospheric circulation pattern of stratospheric winds, and providing information about diurnal excursions, and potential termination/impact locations for the future LDB flights.

Balloon launched on: 6/19/2003 at 19:30
Launch site: Longyearbyen Airport, Svalbard, Norway  
Balloon launched by: ISTAR (International Science Technology And Research)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon 3000 m3
Flight identification number: PATH-3
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 6/19/2003
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 18 h
Landing site: 60 kms away from launch site
Campaign: Arctic LDB Program Development 2003 designed to prove concept for launching larger Long Duration Balloons (LDB) in the future from Svalbard Islands
Payload weight: 3 kg

After two other failures in the same campaign, consultations were made with the balloon manufacturer and the Italian Space Agency. Was decided to do another attempt with the same balloon model, but this time with one more kilogram of weight added to the payload and with even less free lift (12 %) than the last one. The balloon, called PATH-3, was launched on 19 June at 19:30 UT.

The ascent was nominal up to float, but after reaching float altitude, also this started to descend slowly.

The balloon landed approximately 18 hours after launch about 60 km from the launch site.

The payload landed safely, on a glacier, and keep continued to send data via the ARGOS system. It was recovered by helicopter the same day.

(extracted from the report of Kjell Bøen, Head of Operational Services)

This flight returned no usefull information due to early termination.

• ISTAR Group website of the group that managed the entire launch operation
• New infrastructure and extended scientific possibilities using the sounding rocket facilities at Andøya and Svalbard 17th ESA Symposium on European Rocket and Balloon Programmes and Related Research, 30 May - 2 June 2005, Sandefjord, Norway
• PEGASO: long duration balloons from north pole XVIII Congresso Nazionale AIDAA
• Ultralight to heavy long duration balloon development from Svalbard, Norway 17th ESA Symposium on European Rocket and Balloon Programmes and Related Research, 30 May - 2 June 2005, Sandefjord, Norway