41 research outputs found
Long Duration Balloon flights development (Italian Space Agency)
No full textStratospheric balloons are rapidly becoming the vehicle of choice for near space investigations and earth observations by a variety of science disciplines. With the ever increasing research into climatic change, earth observations, near space research and commercial component testing, instruments suspended from stratospheric balloons offer the science team a unique, stable and reusable platform that can circle the Earth in the polar region or equatorial zone for thirty days or more. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) in collaboration with Andoya Rocket Range (Andenes, Norway) has opened access in the far northern latitudes above 78o N from Longyearbyen, Svalbard. In 2006 the first Italian UltraLite Long Duration Balloon was launched from Baia Terra Nova, Mario Zuchelli station in Antarctica and now ASI is setting up for the their first equatorial stratospheric launch from their satellite receiving station and rocket launch site in Malindi, Kenya. For the equatorial missions we have analysed the statistical properties of trajectories considering the biennial oscillation and the seasonal effects of the stratospheric winds. Maintaining these launch sites offer the science community 3 point world coverage for heavy lift balloons as well as the rapidly deployed Ultra-light payloads and TM systems ASI developed to use for test platforms, micro experiments, as well as a comprehensive student pilot program. This paper discusses the development of the launch facilities and international LDB development
Pegaso: an ultra-light long duration stratospheric payload for polar regions flights
No full textStratospheric balloons are powerful and affordable tools for a wide spectrum of scientific investigations that are carried out at the stratosphere level. They are less expensive compared to satellite projects and have the capability to lift payloads from a few kilograms to a couple of tons or more, well above the troposphere, for more than a month. Another interesting feature of these balloons, which is not viable in satellites, is the short turnaround time, which enables frequent flights. We introduce the PEGASO (Polar Explorer for Geomagnetism And other Scientific Observations) project, a stratospheric payload designed and developed by the INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia), Rome and La Sapienza University, Rome. The project was sponsored by the PNRA (Progetto Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide), Italy (Peterzen et al., 2003). This light payload (10 kg) was used by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Andoya Rocket Range (ARR) for five different scientific missions. PEGASO carries a 3-component flux-gate magnetometer, uses a solar cell array as the power source and has a GPS location system. The bi-directional telemetry system for data transfer and the remote control system were IRIDIUM basedINGV, PNRA, ASI, ARR, CNR, La SapienzaPublishedBeijing, China1.10. TTC - Telerilevamentoope
PEGASO: An ultra light long duration stratospheric payload for polar regions flights
No full textStratospheric balloons are powerful and affordable tools for a wide spectrum of scientific investigations that are carried out at the stratosphere level. They are less expensive compared to satellite projects and have the capability to lift payloads from a few kilograms to a couple of tons or more, well above the troposphere, for more than a month. Another interesting feature of these balloons, which is not viable in satellites, is the short turnaround time, which enables frequent flights. We introduce the PEGASO (Polar Explorer for Geomagnetism And other Scientific Observations) project, a stratospheric payload designed and developed by the INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia), Rome and La Sapienza University, Rome. The project was sponsored by the PNRA (Progetto Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide), Italy (Peterzen et al., 2003). This light payload (10 kg) was used by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Andoya Rocket Range (ARR) for five different scientific missions. PEGASO carries a 3-component flux-gate magnetometer, uses a solar cell array as the power source and has a GPS location system. The bi-directional telemetry system for data transfer and the remote control system were IRIDIUM based. © 2007 COSPAR
PEGASO . Polar Explorer for Geomagnetic And other Scientific Observation
No full textPEGASO (Polar Explorer for Geomagnetic And other Scientific Observation) program has been created to conduct small experiments in as many disciplines on-board of small stratospheric balloons. PEGASO uses the very low expensive pathfinder balloons. Stratospheric pathfinders are small balloons commonly used to explore the atmospheric circumpolar upper winds and to predict the trajectory for big LDBs (Long Duration Balloons). Installing scientific instruments on pathfinder and using solar energy to power supply the system, we have the opportunity to explorer the Polar Regions, during the polar summer, following circular trajectory. These stratospheric small payload have flown for 14 up to 40 days, measuring the magnetic field of polar region, by means of 3-axis-fluxgate magnetometer. PEGASO payload uses IRIDIUM satellite telemetry (TM). A ground station communicates with one or more payloads to download scientific and house-keeping data and to send commands for ballast releasing, for system resetting and for operating on the separator system at the flight end. The PEGASO missions have been performed from the Svalbard islands with the logistic collaboration of the Andoya Rocket Range and from the Antarctic Italian base. Continuous trajectory predictions, elaborated by Institute of Information Science and Technology (ISTI-CNR), were necessary for the flight safety requirements in the north hemisphere. This light payloads (<10 Kg) are realized by the cooperation between the INGV and the Physics department "La Sapienza" University and it has operated five times in polar areas with the sponsorship of Italian Antarctic Program (PNRA), Italian Space Agency (ASI). This paper summarizes important results about stratospheric missions
DUSTER (Dust in the Upper Stratosphere Tracking Experiment and Return): a balloon-borne dust particle collector
No full textDuster - in the Upper Stratosphere Tracking Experiment and Return: a Balloon Flight in Arctic Region,
No full textDUSTER (Dust in the Upper Stratosphere Tracking Experiment and Return): a balloon-borne dust particle collector
No full textThe DUSTER (Dust in the Upper Stratosphere Tracking Experiment and Retrieval) project is aimed at uncontaminated collection and retrieval of stratospheric solid aerosol particles, in the submicron/micron range, from the upper stratosphere. The approach implies: (1) in-situ particles collection; (2) sample recovering; and (3) laboratory analyses. The scientific aim is deriving the dust size distribution, the concentration, chemistry and mineralogy of the collected stratospheric aerosols. The main characteristics of the instrument are: (1) Capability of working autonomously during balloon flight at 30-40 km altitude, temperatures down to -80°C; (2) sampling at least 20 m3 of air to collect several hundreds of aerosol particles); (3) Samples storage and retrieval under controlled conditions. A detailed description of the experiment is reported her
DUSTER (Dust in the Upper Stratosphere Tracking Experiment and Return):. a balloon-borne dust particle collector
No full textThe DUSTER (Dust in the Upper Stratosphere Tracking Experiment and Retrieval) project is aimed at uncontaminated collection and retrieval of stratospheric solid aerosol particles, in the submicron/micron range, from the upper stratosphere. The approach implies: (1) in-situ particles collection; (2) sample recovering; and (3) laboratory analyses. The scientific aim is deriving the dust size distribution, the concentration, chemistry and mineralogy of the collected stratospheric aerosols. The main characteristics of the instrument are: (1) Capability of working autonomously during balloon flight at 30-40 km altitude, temperatures down to -80°C; (2) sampling at least 20 m3 of air to collect several hundreds of aerosol particles); (3) Samples storage and retrieval under controlled conditions. A detailed description of the experiment is reported here
PEGASO: LONG DURATION BALLOONS FROM NORTH POLE
No full textIn a joint effort, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Andoya Rocket Range (ARR) have initiated the
development of a European balloon center in Svalbard, Norway that is an ideal location for performing Long
Duration Balloon (LDB) flights. After the identification of the launch location several light balloon flights have
been performed since 2003. The 2004 campaign utilized a 10000 m³ balloon produced for the program by
Aerostar of Sulfur Springs, Texas USA. This flight lasted 40 days and was an excellent test of the small
PEGASO payload, developed (for use in Antarctica) by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology
(INGV) with the PNRA (Progetto Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide) sponsorship. This payload uses an
IRIDIUM based bi-directional telemetry system. During summer 2005 two flights have been performed using
balloons of the same size. They carried an updated telemetry and a scientific payload which analyzed the
magnetic field of the Earth. The Institute of Information Science and Technology (ISTI-CNR) team computed
predictions of the balloons trajectories, both before and during flights, as well as statistical evaluations of the
seasonal flight windows at the beginning of the ASI LDB program. The 2004 and 2005 missions have been
defined to investigate the stratospheric winds structure and they tested the possibility for future heavy LDB
flights. The Italian scientific community foresees this kind of missions from 2007-2008 campaigns.
Next sections, starting from a general overview of the Italian LDB program, give the description of the Pegaso
flights and, in particular, the adopted technical solutions for the on-board and ground-based equipments.PublishedVOLTERRA, PISA1.10. TTC - Telerilevamentoope
