2007 Esrange Balloon Campaign of the Aura Validation Balloon Program

Gondola 1: FIRS-2 Far Infrared Fourier Transform Emission Spectrometer based at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for

Astrophysics (P.I. Ken Jucks)

SLS superconducting heterodyne sub-millimeter limb sounder based at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

(P.I. Bob Stachnik)

Ozone in situ photometer based at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (P.I. Jim Margitan, remotely from JPL)

Gondola 2: MkIV solar occultation Fourier Transform Spectrometer based at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (P.I. Geoff Toon)

Other JPL personnel include Brian Drouin (Azimuth drive, working with SLS and FIRS-2, and photography boy),

Jess Landeros (gondola support and ping pong King), Dave Petterson (MkIV team), Jean-Francois Blavier (MkIV team),

Voltaire Velazco (MkIV team), and Bhaswar Sen (Ozone instrument and MkIV team, and positive thinking expert).

23/01/07 Update: Our launch attempt today was scrubbed at 9:00 AM local time. The low level winds never cooperated.

We will try again tomorrow, as the vortex is right overhead right now.

24/01/07 Update: The balloon is laid out….launch expected at 7:15 UT

7:40UT FIRS-2/SLS Launch!!!!!

We see PSCs in the sky…EVERYWHERE!!!!

Float at 9:40 UT, terminate at 10:27 UT. The float direction was taking us to the Gulf of Bothnia

Both FIRS-2 and SLS barely obtained a sufficient amount of data.

Upon post flight inspection, all 3 instruments obtained what looks to be very interesting data!

05/02/07 Update: Launch attempt for MkIV was cancelled due to high float winds.

06/02/07 Update: Both launch attempts for MkIV were cancelled due to high low level winds. Two tries tomorrow.

07/02/07 Update: MkIV Launch at 3:20 UT. However, the balloon failed at float altitude. More to follow.

21/02/07 Update: The vortex if FINALLY back, but no the launch attempt was cancelled for various reasons.

22/02/07 Update: After a scrub of the sunrise launch attempt, MkIV was launched in the afternoon for a sunset.

Alas, the balloon again burst at float altitude. MkIV got some data on ascent above 25 km.

This will probably end the campaign…….

Photos and Movies (taken by Brian Drouin).

Thumbnails and links to photos by Brian Drouin taken during campaign (and trip to) Esrange near Kiruna, Sweden.

Time lapse movie of Comet McNaught taken by Brian on 17/01/07.

Time lapse movie of FIRS/SLS compatibility taken by Brian on 17/01/07.

Time lapse movie of a foggy morning taken from the hangar on 19/01/07.

Time lapse movie of a morning sunrise taken from the hangar on 21/01/07.

Time lapse movie of scrubbed launch taken on 23/01/07.

Time lapse movie of balloon inflation and PSCs taken from outside the hangar on 24/01/07.

Time lapse movie of sunrise taken from inside the hangar on 24/01/07.

Time lapse movie of late afternoon PSCs, Part I taken from the balloon pad on 25/01/07.

Time lapse movie of late afternoon PSCs, Part II taken from the balloon pad on 25/01/07.

Time lapse movie of late afternoon PSCs, Part III taken from the balloon pad on 25/01/07.

Time lapse movie of an aurora taken from the balloon pad on 29/01/07.

Time lapse movie of a post launch attempt on the balloon pad taken from the hangar on 04/02/07.

Time lapse movie of sun dogs taken from the hangar on 04/02/07.

Other links for this campaign

Balloon launch will be through the NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC).

Follow this CSBF link for the real-time video cam of the balloon launch pad at Esrange (disabled when campaign is over).

Follow this CSBF link for the payload tracking once the flights are in progress (disabled when campaign is over).