In close collaboration with strategic partners like NASA and\nCNES, Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) is launching a record amount of eight\nstratospheric balloons this summer. The largest one measures three times the\nsize of the Globe (Avicii Arena) in Stockholm and will fly high above the\nAtlantic to a safe landing in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are hectic times at the Esrange Space Center outside\nKiruna in northern Sweden. A total of eight stratospheric balloons \u2013 five\ntransatlantic, two stationary and one student balloon \u2013 will be launched from\nEsrange within a matter of weeks. A record in both numbers and volumes, with\nseveral of them being stadium sized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSSC is proud to offer this top-of-the-line service for\nlaunching stratospheric balloons from the Esrange. Years of strategic\ncollaboration with, among others, renowned partners such as NASA and CNES,\ngrants us with vast experience and expertise, and puts SSC at the very top of\ninternational ballooning. Never before has this many balloons been launched in\nsuch a short time frame. And never have they been this large,\u201d says Charlotta\nSund, CEO of SSC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The larger, transatlantic balloons will fly from Sweden and\nland in Canada after up to a week in the air. The research conducted on these\nballoons include cosmic ray, X-ray astronomy, and solar observations \u2013\nproviding fundamental research such as the origin of the Universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The strategic location is key to NASA and CNES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is no coincidence that balloon operations thrive in the\nnorthernmost part of Sweden. Situated north of the Arctic Circle, the sparsely\npopulated area is unique in many ways. The launch area is strategically\npositioned in terms of stratospheric winds and with access to the midnight sun\nduring spring and summer. Under constant sunlight, the changes in pressure\ninside the balloons can be kept to a minimum. Additionally, flying balloons\nfrom Esrange in a westerly direction provides a unique opportunity to safely\nlaunch and fly long-duration missions for several days in the northern\nhemisphere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery launch we do is unique and exciting, and we\u2019re\nthrilled to have our first successful launch for the season now that the wind\npatterns are aligned to meet our mission needs. This long-duration capability\nis crucial to our science missions, as they gather a great amount of data over\nthe course of one flight\u201d, says Andrew Hamilton, Acting Director of NASA\u2019s\nBalloon Program Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor several decades, CNES has been carrying out many\nstratospheric balloon flights from the Esrange base for French and European\nlaboratories. The coming campaign includes our first transatlantic flight\nbetween Sweden and north Canada. After 2 years of technical work, we are now\nready for this new challenge,\u201d says St\u00e9phane Louvel, Balloon campaign manager\nat CNES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NASA balloon missions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n HELIX: A powerful superconducting magnet will measure the\nflux of high-energy cosmic ray isotopes. This will help determine the age of\ncosmic rays in our galaxy. Launched on the 28th of May, the 3,402 kg payload\nflies on a 970,000 m3 balloon at 36 km altitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BOOMS: A high-resolution imager of X-rays from energetic\nelectron microbursts that appear in the polar atmosphere. The 748 kg payload\nwill fly on a 1,7 million m3 balloon at 47 km altitude \u2013 the largest balloon\never at Esrange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SUNRISE-III: A solar observatory that takes high-resolution\nimages and spectro-polarimetry of layers of the Sun, and on active regions of\nthe Sun to measure magnetic field, temperature, and velocities. The 3,515 kg\npayload will fly on a 970,000 m3 balloon at 36 km altitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n XL-Calibur: A telescope that will observe a sample of\ngalactic black hole and neutron star sources to gain new insights on how these\nobjects accelerate electrons and emit X-rays. The 2,722 kg payload will fly on\na 1,12 million m3 balloon at 38 km altitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n