TEST OF NEW BALLAST MOUNTING SYSTEM

The objective of the flight was to perform an engineering test of a new mounting system for ballast. In balloon experiments, which are becoming more sophisticated year by year, the weight scale of onboard equipment and flight requirements are diversifying, so the required amount of ballast to be loaded in each flight is also variable. Determining the amount of ballast is two sides of the same coin when determining the weight of the on-board equipment and flight requirements. This is one of the factors that make the structural design of the on-board equipment even more difficult. Therefore, as part of technological efforts to mitigate the influence of the large amount of ballast on the structural design, ISAS/JAXA developed a ballast mounting method that minimizes the load transmission path between the ballast weight and the suspension point of the mounted equipment.

In this flight, the ballast was mounted by this new method, so its functionality could be demonstrated by measuring the dynamics of the mounting mechanism during flight.

Balloon launched on: 6/6/2022 at 3:44 jst
Launch site: Multipurpose Aviation Research Field, Taiki-Cho, Hokkaido, Japan  
Balloon launched by: Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon model B15 15.000 m3
Flight identification number: B22-07
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 6/6/2022 at 6:19 jst
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 3 h 10 m
Landing site: In the Pacific Ocean

The balloon was launched from Taiki Aerospace Research Field at 3:44 jst (Japan Standard Time). After a nominal ascent at 330 meters per minute, it reached a float altitude of 27 km on the Pacific Ocean about 58 km east of the Taiki. The total climb time was 1 hour and 20 minutes. After completing the mission the payload was separated from the balloon at 6:19 jst and both elements were recovered from the Pacific Ocean at 7:12 jst.

• News of the launch (in japanese) JAXA website