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: 7/12/2003 at 10:50
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-5
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 7/12/2003
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 1 h
Landing site: In the sea near 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
The fifth pathfinder balloon called PATH-5 was launched on July 12th, at 10:50 UT.
It ascended up to only 1500 meters and by unknown reasons started to descend and landed in the sea.
This flight returned no usefull information due to early termination.
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