Purpose of the flight and payload description

The instrument was composed of two co-aligned hard X-ray detector systems: a 300 cm2 NaI/CsI phoswich scintillator and a 50 cm2 array of four 1.3 cm thick planar germanium detectors. Both detector systems had graded Z passive collimators which defined 2,6º x 5,2º fields of view. The actively shielded germanium array provided ~ 1 keV energy resolution from 13 to 600 keV.

In the phoswich scintillator, background rejection was provided by anticoincidence between the front NaI and the rear CsI, using pulse shape discrimination techniques.

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 6/27/1980 at 12:22 utc
Launch site: Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, Texas, US  
Balloon launched by: National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF)
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon Winzen 821.472 m3 (12.70 microns - Stratofilm) - SF 424.22-050-NSCR-01
Balloon serial number: W29.01-2-01
Flight identification number: 1206P
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 6/27/1980 at 21:47 utc
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): F 10 h 10 m
Landing site: 14 Miles SE of Van Horn,Texas, US
Payload weight: 1037 kgs.

During the flight, several hard X-Ray microflares were detected while the instrument observed the Sun.

External references

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