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flight activities. Scientific teams ship a payload to the launch site, and set up a small field station to assemble their equipment, make last-minute preparations, and manage the experiment during flight. The payload is typically a large instrument or cluster of instruments, plus onboard computers, radio telemetry equipment, and ballast.
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film, and at float have a diameter of up to 140 meters (460 feet) and a volume of up to 1.12 million m (40 million cu ft). The balloons are filled with helium gas, can carry payloads up to 3,600 kilograms (7,900 pounds), fly at altitudes of up to 42 kilometers (26 miles), and
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Launching a balloon requires the conjunction of light low-level winds (to comply with the limitations of the CSBF dynamic launch technique) and suitable upper-level winds (so the balloon remains within telemetry range of a ground station, and within the permitted flight region). The payload may be
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During the flight, data is transmitted to the ground for quick-look analysis, and is usually recorded on board as well. Scientists on the ground usually actively control the payload. An astronomical telescope, for example, can be real time directed toward a variety of sources for observations, or
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A balloon flight involves both the CSBF and a scientific team(s). The CSBF determines the launch site based on scientific goals, and provides local preparation facilities, a balloon(s), launch and recovery vehicles, and personnel to support the logistical aspects of pre flight, flight, and post
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which separates the parachute from the balloon. A rip line simultaneously tears open the top of the balloon. The balloon quickly deflates and falls to the ground, to be retrieved and disposed of (balloons are single use). The payload descends, suspended by the parachute, and is recovered by the
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of the sun, rising and setting. Heat during the day causes the balloon to expand and gain altitude, thereby losing helium. Heat loss at night causes the balloon to sink and contract. Ballast is carried to overcome the effect. Flying in a polar region during full sunlight allows more negligible
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Conventional payloads typically have a float duration at altitude of 72+ hours. Long
Duration Ballooning payloads float at durations of 42+ days. Ultra long duration balloons (ULDB) are being developed which can operate at float for +100 days. The limiting factor is the
308:(MCC) in Houston, TX. Approximately 3 hours from Houston, CSBF provides facilities that NASA can utilize for short-term control of the ISS in case MCC is evacuated. The BCC was temporarily activated in August 2020 while the
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The balloons are zero pressure difference balloons, and are vented at the bottom. They are only partially inflated when launched, and as they rise up, the lower atmospheric pressure causes them to fully inflate.
220:. After the Travalb-1 launch abort, the Travalb-2 lifted off on 29 December 2019 to test NASA balloon trajectory predictions in Antarctica and to study electron losses from Earth's radiation belts.
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dropped to Earth on
February 1, 2003. In February 2006, the NSBF was renamed the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in honor of the Crew of
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Provide sophisticated ground and flight systems for launch, control, data retrieval, commanding, and recovery of NASA's balloon missions.
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located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. In
February 2015, operation of the facility was transferred to the Technical Services Division of
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TRAVALB-2 surpassed previous
Antarctic balloon flights by staying aloft for 149 days, 3 hours, and 58 minutes after launch from the
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CSBF launches balloons from several sites in the world, depending on the needs of the experiment they carry. Sites include:
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rolled out to the launch area several times before surface and upper atmosphere conditions are acceptable for launch.
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From
October 1987 to January 2015, the CSBF was operated by the Physical Science Laboratory under the auspices of
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112:(NASA) and the NSBF became a separate entity under the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
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Provide maintenance, operations and logistics support for NASA's scientific balloon program and facilities.
54:. Customers of the CSBF include NASA centers, universities, and scientific groups from all over the world.
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In 1982, sponsorship of the NSBF was transferred from the
National Science Foundation to the
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in 1963 and designated as the
National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF) in January 1973.
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Perform research and development to advance the capabilities of NASA's suborbital programs.
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facility responsible for providing launch, tracking and control, airspace coordination,
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Its Texas location put the NSBF in the middle of the area where the debris from the
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are sealed to prevent helium loss and have a pumpkin shape at flight altitude. The
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CSBF conventional and long duration (LDB) balloons are made of 20 micrometer thick
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Since 2017, CSBF has been designated as the Backup
Control Center (BCC) for the
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Flight profile of super-pressure balloons versus zero-pressure balloons.
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NASA facility specialized in high altitude balloon equipment
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and command systems, and recovery services for unmanned
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in
Boulder, Colorado in 1961 under the auspices of the
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517:List of stratospheric balloon launches from there
476:. National Aeronautics & Space Administration
34:), established in 1961 and formerly known as the
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208:Long Duration Balloon (LDB) site at LDB Camp,
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168:can remain at float in excess of 40 days.
237:left in an autonomous mode of operation.
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36:National Scientific Balloon Facility
28:Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility
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835:31.77861°N 95.71444°W
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610:Women's basketball
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635:Pistol Pete
121:Orbital ATK
853:Categories
826:95°42′52″W
823:31°46′43″N
681:Alamogordo
676:Las Cruces
639:Rivalries
570:Located in
378:References
264:Antarctica
146:Ballooning
583:Athletics
480:28 August
177:parachute
99:Palestine
48:telemetry
691:Doña Ana
686:Carlsbad
669:Campuses
660:Sun Bowl
620:Baseball
595:Football
502:Archived
474:NASA.gov
396:NASA.gov
347:Aviation
320:See also
42:), is a
724:KRWG-FM
719:KRWG-TV
453:14 July
428:14 July
402:14 July
371:Science
333:Portals
151:Balloon
140:STS-107
77:History
58:Mission
738:People
696:Grants
424:. NASA
398:. NASA
289:Wānaka
754:Other
705:Media
103:Texas
729:KRUX
482:2020
455:2020
430:2020
404:2020
216:and
206:NASA
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81:The
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40:NSBF
32:CSBF
26:The
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