ATMOSFER

Developed by Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (CNR-INO) / Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) / Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS) / Forschungszentrum Jülich / Inserm Lyon / Bordeaux INP

Balloon launched on 6/26/2024, from European Space Range, Kiruna, Sweden

Purpose of the flight and payload description

The objective of the ATMOSFER mission was to transport 12 experiments from different laboratories and universities. For the mission was used as platform CARMENCITA a multi-payload stabilized gondola originally introduced in late 2012 by the Nacelles Pointees (Pointed Platforms) CNES team, which was developed with several concepts in mind: modularity to allow the inclusion of several instruments devoted to the same or different research areas in one mission, reusability to overcome the difficult to adapt a platform specifically designed around an instrument to another (reducing costs and developing times), and finally cargo volume which is maximized to allow the installation of many instruments.

Onboard the gondola were installed the following instruments:

FIRMOS-B a Fourier transform spectrometer measuring the radiance emitted by the planet in the spectral band from 10-100µm in wavelength. It was developed at the Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (CNR-INO) from Italy, with funding from ESA and ASI. The instrument was built to support the FORUM satellite mission.

A ZEPHYR GONDOLA aimed to fly under the stratospheric pressurized balloons used by the Stratéole 2 project, being developed by the Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) and the Division Technique of l'Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers (DT-INSU), in close collaboration with the CNES balloon sub-directorate. On board the gondola were the following instruments:

- ROC: GPS radio-occulation instrument
- LPC: particle counter
- B-BOP: ozone instrument
- VATA: sonic anemometer
- H2O TDLAS: laser hygrometer

NIXE an instrument to measure cirrus ice cloud particles developed at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, from Germany

FRITEBALL a fast Gamma-ray Spectrometer

BERNADOTTE (Ballon d'Etude Radiobiologique sur la NAture et la DOse physique et biologique des particules à Très haut Transfert d'Energie), a project developed by Inserm Lyon aimed to test the impact of cosmic radiation on human cells at high altitudes.

BALLOONBUS a radiation detector with real-time communication developed by the INP from Bordeaux, France aimed to study the radiation impact on electronic devices.

LOAC & POPS two aerosol particles counters

Video footage of the pre-launch and launch operations

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 6/26/2024 at 23:01 UTC
Launch site: European Space Range, Kiruna, Sweden  
Balloon launched by: Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon model 150z Hemeria 150.000 m3
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 6/27/2024 at 10:03 UTC (L)
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 11 h
Landing site: 6 miles WSW of Ovre Soppero, Sweden
Campaign: TRANSAT 2024  

External references

Images of the mission

         

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