Purpose of the flight and payload description

A balloon-borne instrument to make measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy on angular scales between 0.5 and 3 degrees. The experiment uses a one meter, off-axis Cassegrian telescope, coupled with a four spectral band radiometer. The pointing for the experiment is controlled by a platform which was originally built in the early 1980's by a group at GSFC to map the Galactic plane (FIRS instrument).

Details of the balloon flight

Balloon launched on: 6/5/1992 at 00:59 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 SF3-480.10-080-NSCH-04-ST
Balloon serial number: W39.96-3-11
Flight identification number: 1510P
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 6/5/1992 at 12:32 utc
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): F 6 h 39 m
Landing site: 30 miles N of Brownwood, Texas, US

After a succesfull launch using dynamic method and assisted by launch vehicle (Tiny Tim) at 00:59 utc of June 5, 1992.

The balloon ascent was nominal abd float altitude of 38 km was achieved at 05:07 utc.

After normal flight the balloon was terminated with sunrise at 10:56 utc.

This first flight of the instrument returned outstanding results, and detected anisotropy in several points.

External references

Images of the mission

         

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