VACUUM MONSTER (Interplanetary Dust Collector)

Developed by University of Washington (UW)

Balloon launched on 5/2/1971, from Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, Texas, US

Purpose of the flight and payload description

The instrument -that was named after the creature in the Beatles movie Yellow Submarine that sucked up everything- consisted basically of an air pump which pulls air through an array of cylindrical collection rods. Particles are collected on the oil-coated rods by inertial deposition. The pump is an air ejector system that uses as driving gas a derivated from the catalytic decomposition of hydrazene. The collector's fuel tanks carry 150 lb of hydrazine and the pump is capable of sampling over 105 ft3 of ambient air at 35 km during a 5 hr period. The pump draws air through a horn-shaped air inlet and the collection-rod assembly.

During this flight were obtained nine particles collected in the atmosphere and positively identified as cosmic dust.

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 5/2/1971
Launch site: Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, Texas, US  
Balloon launched by: National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon Winzen - 2.900.000 cuft (1.0 mil. Stratofilm)
Flight identification number: 608P
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): ??/??/1971
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): F 6 h 20 m
 Payload weight: 831 lbs

External references

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