ELITE

Developed by Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES)

Balloon launched on 3/13/2004, from European Space Range, Kiruna, Sweden

Purpose of the flight and payload description

ELITE was a developmental effort for a new Telemetry/Telecommand (TM/TC) system for the housekeeping and science data transmission onboard stratospheric balloons carried out by CNES balloon division starting in 1999.

ELITE was a system for balloon house-keeping and low rate scientific telemetry, telecommand system, which was based on single I2C bus standardizing communication between the different components of the system: trajectography, balloon control, power supply, scientific TM/TC. Under this concept, Radio Frequency links are established between the house keeping gondola and the components of the aerostat (balloon valve, ballast hopper, balloon gas temperature measurements, etc). The main objectives were to simplify the flight train preparation in term of gondola testing before flight, and also to reduce the number of long electrical cables integrated in the balloon and the flight train.

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 3/13/2004
Launch site: European Space Range, Kiruna, Sweden  
Balloon launched by: Swedish Space Corporation (SSC)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon  
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 3/13/2004
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 12 h

This was a flight test of the system.

This concept was the corner stone of an entire new design philosophy within the french balloon program, which eventually would lead to the development of the NOSYCA system in use today.

External references

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