Balloon Programs to Address NASA
Science Priorities
Jonathan F. Ormes
Univ. of Denver
April , 2007
Stanford University
2
Introducing myself
• Positions
– Joined GSFC in 1967 as an National Research Council
Resident Research Academy
– Hired to permanent staff in 1969
– Head, Nuclear Astrophysics Branch, 1/1982-9/1990
– Chief, Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics,
9/1990—10/8/2000
– Director of Space Sciences, 9/3/00-7/4/2004
– University of Denver, 7/5/2004 – present
• My research interests are in the area of High Energy
Astrophysics, in particular cosmic-ray or particle
astrophysics and gamma-ray astronomy, the boundary
between high energy physics and astrophysics.
3
Independent Programmatic Review Committee
February 24, 2005
Report of the
Scientific Ballooning Roadmap Team
Martin Israel
mhi@wuphys.wustl.edu
314-935-6263
4
Scientific Ballooning Roadmap Team
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Martin Israel Washington University in St. Louis, Chair
Steven Boggs University of California - Berkeley
Michael Cherry Louisiana State University
Mark Devlin University of Pennsylvania
Holland Ford Johns Hopkins University
Jonathan Grindlay Center for Astrophysics / Harvard University
James Margitan Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jonathan Ormes University of Denver
Carol Raymond Jet Propulsion Laboratory
David Rust Applied Physics Laboratory / Johns Hopkins University
Eun-Suk Seo University of Maryland - College Park
Vernon Jones NASA Headquarters, Executive Secretary
Ex Officio:
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Vladimir Papitashvili NSF/Office of Polar Programs
David Pierce NASA/WFF/Balloon Program Office, Chief
Debora Fairbrother NASA/WFF/Balloon Program Office, Technology Manager
Jack Tueller NASA/GSFC, Balloon Program Project Scientist
Louis Barbier NASA/GSFC, Balloon Program Deputy Project Scientist
5
Outline of this Report
• Scientific ballooning has made important contributions
to NASA’s programs, providing access to near-space
conditions.
• Scientific ballooning will continue to contribute
significantly to NASA’s strategic objectives.
• The current balloon program has substantial capability,
but funding challenges.
• To achieve its potential for advancing strategic
objectives, three high-priority needs are identified.
• Looking forward at the next ten to thirty years we
envision exciting new possibilities for scientific
ballooning.
6
Ballooning has produced important new science
• Boomerang and MAXIMA flights mapped the
anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background.
– Result confirmed the inflation model of the early universe.
• Cosmic-ray antiprotons were identified.
– They were shown to be the result of well known cosmic
rays colliding with interstellar gas and dust, placing
constraints on the kind of supersymmetric particle that
makes up the dark matter.
• Early detections of
– Gamma-ray lines from SN1987A
– Positron emission from the Galaxy
– Black-hole X-ray transients in the galactic center region
• Balloons observed chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and
chlorine monoxide (ClO) radicals in the
stratosphere
– Confirmed the CFC ozone-depletion theory.
7
Balloon missions have contributed in essential ways to
scientific spacecraft missions.
• CGRO instruments all developed from balloon-flight
instruments.
• CMB balloon flights in the late 80's and 90's laid the
critical ground work for the design of WMAP.
• Detectors on the RHESSI mission were first developed
and demonstrated on balloon-borne instruments.
• The scintillating fiber trajectory detector on the ACE
Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer was demonstrated
first in a balloon flight.
• On the EOS-Aura satellite, the MLS, TES, and
HIRDLS instruments all trace their heritage to
instruments that first flew on balloons.
WMAP
RHESSI
8
The Physics of the Universe
A Strategic Plan for Federal Research
at the Intersection of
Physics and Astronomy
NASA, NSF, DOE Working Group
February 2004
Space Science
Enterprise
Strategy
October 2003
Earth Science
Enterprise
Strategy
October 2003
Origins
Roadmap
October 2002
Structure and Evolution of the Universe
Roadmap
January 2003
9
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/strategy/Science_Plan_07.pdf
10
National Academy Decadal Surveys
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11
Table 2.1
12
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Summary of Table 2.1
• Earth Science: basic questions
– what are the causes and effects of change (natural and
human-induced) for the global Earth system and what are
the consequences for human civilization.
• Planetary Science: questions on origins and evolution
and immediate concerns
–
–
–
–
how did the Sun and planets form
how did life begin
how did the solar system evolve
what are the hazards and resources of the solar system
environment wrt human presence
• Heliospheric Physics:
– understand the Sun and
– its effects on the Earth
• Astrophysics: the big questions
– what is the origin, evolution and fate of the universe,
– how do planets, stars, galaxies and cosmic structures come
into being,
– how did life arise, and
– is there life elsewhere.
14
Example of Targeted Outcomes by 2017
• Test the validity of Einstein’s General Theory
of Relativity.
• Investigate the nature of spacetime through
tests of fundamental symmetries (e.g., is the
speed of light truly a constant?).
• Test the inflation hypothesis of the Big Bang.
• Precisely determine the cosmological
parameters governing the evolution of the
universe.
• Improve our knowledge of dark energy, the
mysterious cosmic energy that will determine
the fate of the universe.
15
7.4.1 Research and Analysis
• Technology Incubation
• Supporting Theoretical Research and Modeling
• Laboratory Astrophysics
• Ground-Based Observations in Support of NASA
Missions
• Archival Research
16
The Suborbital Program, comprising the sounding rocket and high-altitude balloon
programs, provides unique opportunities for high-priority science; detector and instrument
development; and training of students, engineers, and future PIs. Small standalone space missions like
SMEX cost in excess of $100M per project, which requires low risk with a high certainty of science
return. Untested technologies and high-risk science need a lower-cost avenue to space. The Suborbital
Program provides an opportunity for creativity, ingenuity, and the serendipity that are essential
ingredients both in scientific progress and in motivating and training the next generation. Because
of its flexibility, the Suborbital Program produces a steady stream of new instrumentation and new
science that leads to new questions and the evolution of new missions.
Helium-filled balloons have the capability to lift multi-ton payloads to altitudes in excess of
120,000 feet for 30-day flights and have demonstrated the capability to launch a 200-kilogram payload
to 160,000 feet. A 100-day ultra-long- duration flight capability is being developed. This will provide
useful flight opportunities for observing campaigns associated with Beyond Einstein and for multiwavelength observing campaigns involving correlated spacecraft and ground observations.
Balloon missions are prototyping optics and detectors to extend X-ray and gamma-ray
measurements in space to higher energies than are currently possible. CMB balloon flights in the 1970s
to the 1990s led directly to the design of COBE and WMAP. Instruments on the Reuven Ramaty HighEnergy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), ACE, and EOS-Aura space missions all were developed
and tested on high-altitude scientific balloon flights. Finally, coded-aperture imagers and positionsensitive gamma-ray detectors developed for hard X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy have found
applications to medical imaging and national security. Future balloon launches will be needed to test
room-temperature cadmium zinc telluride semiconductor detectors, X-ray focusing optics, megapixel
coded-aperture gamma-ray imagers, and fast low-power multichannel electronics for Beyond Einstein’s
Con-X and a candidate Black Hole Finder Probe.
17
The sounding rocket program….
2006 Strategic Plan
Sub-goal 3B: Understand the Sun and its effects on Earth and the solar system.
3B.1. Progress in understanding the fundamental physical processes of the space environment
from the Sun to Earth, to other planets, and beyond to the interstellar medium.
3B.2. Progress in understanding how human society, technological systems, and the habitability
of planets are affected by solar variability and planetary magnetic fields.
3B.3. Progress in developing the capability to predict the extreme and dynamic conditions in
space in order to maximize the safety and productivity of human and robotic explorers.
Sub-goal 3C: Advance scientific knowledge of the solar system, search for evidence of life,
and prepare for human exploration.
3C.1. Progress in learning how the Sun’s family of planets and minor bodies originated and
evolved.
3C.2. Progress in understanding the processes that determine the history and future of
habitability in the solar system, including the origin and evolution of Earth’s biosphere and the
character and extent of prebiotic chemistry on Mars and other worlds.
3C.3. Progress in identifying and investigating past or present habitable environments on Mars
and other worlds, and determining if there is or ever has been life elsewhere in the solar system.
3C.4. Progress in exploring the space environment to discover potential hazards to humans and to
search for resources that would enable human presence.
Sub-goal 3D: Discover the origin, structure, evolution, and destiny of the universe, and
search for Earth-like planets.
3D.1. Progress in understanding the origin and destiny of the universe, phenomena near black
holes, and the nature of gravity.
3D.2. Progress in understanding how the first stars and galaxies formed, and how they changed
over time into the objects recognized in the present universe.
3D.3. Progress in understanding how individual stars form and how those processes ultimately
affect the formation of planetary systems.
3D.4. Progress in creating a census of extra-solar planets and measuring their properties.
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Strategic Roadmap #12
“The NASA Balloon Program was critical to my
development as a scientist, both in graduate school and
as a junior faculty member at Caltech. I can't imagine a
better scientific training for experimental space science
than the experience of building and launching a science
payload on a balloon. You directly experience all the
important steps: design to cost, schedule, weight, and
power constraints; quality control and risk management;
field operations; and reduction and analysis of data.
The impact of the NASA Balloon Program goes far
beyond the demonstration of technology and the direct
Thomas A. Prince
science data that are produced - the scientists who ‘cut
Caltech Prof. of Physics
their teeth’ in the NASA Balloon Program are very
JPL Chief Scientist
often the leaders of today's NASA space science
LISA Mission Scientist
missions and programs.”
19
Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Strategic Roadmap #12
“In my career as a scientist, astronaut, and as NASA's
Chief Scientist, I often reflect back on the strength of the
foundation upon which I was trained. As an
undergraduate and as a graduate student I had the great
fortune to perform experiments in high-energy
astrophysics using high altitude balloons as a platform
for access to space. The NASA scientific ballooning
program provided me with the complete and
quintessential scientific experience, going from
concept to hardware, observations, and scientific
analysis of the results. All in the time frame of a few
years. The rich environment that NASA's sub-orbital John M. Grunsfeld
program supports not only enables top quality
Astronaut
science, but is also crucial as a training ground for (Until a few months ago,
the scientists who will be the principal investigators NASA Chief Scientist)
of tomorrow.”
20
Following is a quote from the report of
the National Academy's
Committee to Assess Progress Toward the Decadal Vision in
Astronomy and Astrophysics
dated February 11, 2005:
"Instrument builders are particularly critical to the health of the field.
Without the next generation of instrumentalists, practical knowledge
about how to work in endangered technical areas (such as high-energy
astrophysics) will be lost, greatly reducing the probability of success
and diminishing U.S. leadership."
In light of the comments by Prince and Grunsfeld, and similar experience of
many other leading scientists in NASA programs, this statement by the Academy
committee further underscores the importance of the balloon program.
21
Conclusions
Ballooning is alive and well.
Ballooning is in the NASA strategic plans.
There is never enough money.
Go for it!!
Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
The Physics of the Universe – February 2004
• Theme 5: “Birth of the Universe Using Cosmic Microwave
Background”
– “Measurement of the portion of the polarization of the CMB that was
caused by primordial gravitational waves offers great promise for
understanding the inflationary period of the universe.”
– “Ground-based and balloon-borne experiments provide initial data to
advance and constrain cosmological models, and play a key role in
developing detectors and techniques for space-based CMB polarization
measurements.”
• Planned balloon instruments PAPPA, EBEX, TPX, BLAST
– Will themselves make important measurements of CMB or foreground.
– Are vital for developing and proving techniques for future satellite-borne
investigations of CMB polarization.
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
The Physics of the Universe – February 2004
• Theme 7: “High Energy Cosmic Ray Physics”
– “DOE, NSF, and NASA are developing a coordinated broad
program of ground-, balloon-, and space-based facilities to
study the highest energy messengers from the universe and the
particle acceleration processes that produce them.”
• The ANITA instrument will detect neutrinos with
energy above 1018 eV interacting in the Antarctic ice.
– Collisions of the highest-energy cosmic rays with the CMB
must produce neutrinos with energy of the order of 1017-19 eV.
– Balloons offer a unique capability at these energies, not
achievable with either ground-based instruments or
instruments in spacecraft, of monitoring a million square
kilometers of Antarctic ice for the bursts of coherent GHz
radio emission coming from the electromagnetic cascade that
develops when a neutrino interacts with the ice.
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Space Science Enterprise Strategy – October 2003
• Strategic objective 5.11 – “Learn what happens to
space, time, and matter at the edge of a black hole.”
– “Constellation-X will greatly extend our capability for
high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy.”
– SEU Roadmap “Beyond Einstein” January 2003 re
Constellation-X: “… key areas of technology, including
… CdZnTe detectors for hard X-rays.”
Constellation-X
• Balloon investigations supporting developments for
Constellation-X: HERO, InFOCuS, HEFT
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Space Science Enterprise Strategy – October 2003
• Objective 5.11 (continued) (edge of black holes)
– “A black hole finder Einstein probe will perform the
first all-sky imaging census of accreting black holes.”
– SEU Roadmap “Beyond Einstein” January 2003 re
black hole finder probe: “A CdZnTe detector array
seems the most likely candidate, but there remain
technical challenges.”
• Planned balloon-borne instrument (ProtoEXIST)
will further develop technology for large area
arrays of CdZnTe imaging detectors and test
scanning coded aperture imaging in a space-like
environment.
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Space Science Enterprise Strategy – October 2003
• Strategic objective 5.12 – “Understand the
development of structure and the cycles of matter
and energy in the evolving universe.”
– “For the most massive stars, the end comes as a
supernova: the stellar core collapses … releasing vast
quantities of energy.”
– SEU Roadmap January 2003: “Radioactive elements are
formed in detonation and core collapse supernovae, … An
advanced Compton telescope [ACT] that can see the
radiation from these radioactive decays can be used to
study the explosion mechanisms in core-collapse
supernovae.”
• Balloon-borne Compton telescopes (NCT, TIGRE,
MEGA, LXeGRIT) will advance such studies and
will form the basis for a satellite-borne ACT.
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Space Science Enterprise Strategy – October 2003
• Objective 5.12 (cont’d) (cycles of matter and energy)
– “For the most massive stars, the end comes as a supernova: the stellar
core collapses releasing vast quantities of energy. This energy … is
believed to be responsible for cosmic rays.”
– SEU Roadmap January 2003: “A Mission designed to measure the
composition of these cosmic rays [near 1015 eV] will explore their
connection to supernovae by identifying these high energy nuclei.”
• Balloon-borne instruments (ATIC, TRACER, CREAM)
– pushing knowledge of cosmic-ray composition toward energies where
spectral structure is predicted by models of SN-shock acceleration.
Dec 16, 2004 – Jan 27, 2005
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Space Science Enterprise Strategy – October 2003
• Strategic objective 5.8 – “Learn how galaxies, stars, and planets
form and evolve.”
– “We intend to investigate how the diversity of galaxies in today’s
universe emerged … We will learn how the life cycle of stars creates the
chemical elements needed for planets and life …”
– Origins Roadmap October 2002: “balloon or Shuttle-borne payloads
produce cutting-edge science. … Such flights not only help to develop
state-of-the-art technology, but also constitute a high yield investment in
human capital.”
• High resolution images from the Hubble Space Telescope have
revolutionized our view of the Universe. High-altitude balloons
could provide a low cost platform for Hubble-quality high
contrast and high resolution wide field imaging in the decade
following the end of the Hubble mission.
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Space Science Enterprise Strategy – October 2003
• Strategic objective 1.3 – “Understand the origins and societal
impacts of variability in the Sun-Earth connection”
– “On longer time scales, human society has a real need to understand
the role of solar variability in global changes in the Earth’s atmosphere
and space climate.”
• A two to four week Antarctic flight of the Solar Bolometric
Imager during the next sunspot minimum in 2007 will
establish the baseline for irradiance variations in the near
absence of magnetic fields.
– It will also test new technology for eventual flight in a decade-long
space mission to map all possible sources of solar brightness variation
over a complete solar cycle.
• Other balloon missions:
– Flare Genesis
– Sunrise
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Space Science Enterprise Strategy – October 2003
• Strategic objective 5.6 – “Understand the changing flow of
energy and matter throughout the Sun, heliosphere, and
planetary environments.”
– “At one end of the causal chain, we have questions about the structure
and dynamics of the Sun, its corona and solar wind, and the origins of
magnetic changes in the Sun.”
– “Understanding how magnetospheres and atmospheres respond to both
internal and external influences …”
• Balloon-borne solar telescopes will determine the conditions
that cause heating of the solar chromosphere and produce
emission of many of the strongest lines and continua in the
solar EUV spectrum.
• Balloon-borne instruments could observe dayside aurora.
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Space Science Enterprise Strategy – October 2003
• Strategic objective 5.1 – “Learn how the solar system
originated and evolved into its current diverse state.”
– “Comprehensive comparative studies of the atmospheric chemistry,
dynamics, and surface-atmosphere interactions on Mars and Venus
will yield insight into the evolutionary paths these planets followed
and their implications for Earth.”
• Collection of in-situ atmospheric data and high-resolution
geological, geochemical and geophysical data is best done by
an aerial platform.
– The Russian-French-US VEGA mission to Venus in 1985 successfully
deployed two balloons in the dense Venus atmosphere for about two
Earth days and collected in-situ data there.
Artist’s
concept of
super-pressure
balloon on
Mars
Artist’s
concept of a
Venus deep
atmosphere
balloon
Artist’s concept of an aerobot32at Titan
Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Earth Science Enterprise Strategy – October 2003
• Strategic question #2: “How will future changes in
atmospheric composition affect ozone and climate?”
– Atmospheric Composition Roadmap: “Systematic measurement of
ozone, aerosols, and trace gases … Assessment of potential for future
major Arctic ozone depletion … Evaluation of feedbacks among
stratospheric and tropospheric ozone, water vapor, aerosols, and
climate.”
• Balloons complement Earth observing satellites by providing
in situ validation.
• Balloons provide observations of detailed processes on much
finer spatial and temporal scales than satellites.
– Arctic winter flights could probe detailed microphysical processes
leading to polar stratospheric clouds, which cannot be resolved from
space.
– Trajectory-controlled, long-duration tropical flights could resolve
spatial and temporal processes controlling cross-tropopause transport,
which cannot be resolved by space-based remote sensing instruments.
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Ballooning Contributions to NASA Strategic Objectives
Strategic Roadmaps List (October 2004 draft)
• NASA Roadmap #12: “Use NASA missions and other
activities to inspire and motivate the nation’s
students and teachers, to engage and educate the
public, and to advance the scientific and
technological capabilities of the nation.”
• In fact many of the scientists with leading roles in
NASA programs were trained in the balloon program.
• Quotes from two of them follow.
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Capability of the Current Balloon Program
• 6 – 16 conventional flights/year
– ~ 1-day, from Palestine TX, Ft. Sumner NM, or Lynn Lake Canada
• Two polar Long-Duration Balloon (LDB) campaigns/year
– 2 LDB flights/year from McMurdo, Antarctica, 10 - 15 days (up to 30 - 40)
– 2 LDB flights/year from Kiruna, Sweden to Canada or Alaska, ~7 days
• Subject to approval for over-flight of Russia, these could be around-the-world
flights for ~20 days and the launch could be from Fairbanks, Alaska
• One mid-latitude LDB campaign/year
– 2 LDB flights between Alice Springs, Australia & S. America, ~10 days
• Within safety constraints, these could be around-the-world flights, ~20 days
• Thru FY07 one foreign campaign/year is cancelled to pay for Antarctic facilities
upgrades.
• Development of super-pressure balloon
– 1-ton instrument >110 kft by FY07
– 100-day flight goal (Ultra Long Duration Balloon, ULDB)
– Little or no day/night altitude variation
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The end
36
•
•
•
•
Ballooning is alive and well
Ballooning is in the NASA strategic plans
There is never enough money
Go for it!!
37
Backup Charts
38
Capability of the Current Balloon Program
Antarctic Long Duration Ballooning (LDB)
“Jewel in the Crown of the Balloon Program”
• Antarctic LDB program was proposed after the
Challenger accident to help offset loss of Shuttle/Spacelab.
• FY89 NASA budget was augmented for ops and science
payloads.
TIGER trajectory
Dec 21, 2001 – Jan 21, 2002
• NASA/SS & NSF/OPP signed open-ended MOU in 1988.
– “One campaign about every other year” – but has averaged ~2 flts/yr
• NASA/SZ & NSF/OPP 2003 MOA extending to March 2009
– 1 - 2 Flights per Year, with Possibility of Adding 3rd Flight
– NASA, with NSF, will upgrade LDB facilities at Williams Field.
– NASA would pay incremental costs for adding a third flight each season.
39
Recommendations under current funding
The current funding comes in two parts:
•
~$25M/yr to Balloon Program Office to support operations and
technology development.
– BPO plans given this budget make sense, so we do not recommend any
significant changes.
– However, the funding level is barely adequate.
•
~$15M/yr from SR&T to scientists for developing missions and
analyzing their data.
– There are many balloon-borne missions that will advance key elements of
NASA strategic plans -- more than will fit into the current budget!
– This roadmap team has not attempted to prioritize among them.
– Strengths of the balloon program are that
• Its science is selected by peer review (like Explorers).
• It gives opportunity for new ideas, not foreseen in strategic plan.
40
High-Priority Need for Scientific Ballooning
Increased Capability for Long-Duration flights
• New programs needing this:
– Polarization of Cosmic Microwave Background
– Detection of neutrinos with energy > 1018 eV
– High sensitivity spectroscopy and survey imaging of black holes
• in advance of Beyond Einstein missions Con-X and Black Hole Finder Probe.
– Others will surely use the capability also.
• Program and technology developments to support this:
–
–
–
–
Additional infrastructure and program cost to enable three Antarctic flts/yr
Dedicated aircraft in Antarctica to help assure timely instrument recovery
LDB flight capability for three flights per year from Arctic
Trajectory Modification to meet safety and environmental restrictions
• Keep Antarctic trajectory over the continent even after two or three circuits
• Ensure that mid-latitude flights do not fly over densely populated areas
• This is critical technology for ULDB flights of 100 days or more
41
High-Priority Need for Scientific Ballooning
High-Altitude (125 kft) Super-Pressure Balloon
• Required for gamma-ray and hard X-ray investigations of
the “Beyond Einstein” program.
– Data from balloon-borne instruments will begin to address the
scientific objectives of “Beyond Einstein”.
– Balloon-borne instruments will be essential for development and
testing of new technology for Constellation-X, Black Hole Finder
Probe, Advanced Compton Telescope.
– These investigations require
• Altitude 125 kft desired, 120 kft minimum, for 1-ton instrument
• Long duration, at least ten days at these altitudes
• Low cosmic-ray background, by flying at mid-latitude.
• Program and technology developments to support this:
– Extension of current ULDB development, which will take 1-ton
instrument to >110 kft about two years from now.
• Substantially lighter-weight support instrumentation
• ~ 50% increase in balloon volume
42
High-Priority Need for Scientific Ballooning
Issue a UNEX AO under current Explorer guidelines.
• Balloon payloads would be highly competitive for UNEX.
– LDB missions were reviewed favorably in the 1997 UNEX solicitation.
– With a now proven LDB capability, LDB missions would be even more
competitive today.
– ULDB missions would also be very competitive once the super-pressure
balloons are successfully demonstrated.
• Currently balloon payloads are solicited in the ROSES NRA’s .
– Payloads capable of achieving the highest priority science are too
expensive for SR&T budgets (Cost ~ SMEX/4).
• LDB Missions are solicited as Missions of Opportunity.
– One LDB Mission (ANITA) was selected for Phase-A Concept Study, but
it was not selected for further Explorer funding.
– There is no clear mandate to evaluate science/$ for Explorer.
– Most balloon missions cannot compete with full size Explorer science.
• Frequent UNEX AO's would provide better, more reliable
support for both balloon missions and Missions of Opportunity.
43
Long-term (10 – 30 year) vision for scientific ballooning
• Flights of 1-ton instruments at extremely high altitudes with less
than 1 mb residual atmosphere (above 160 kft)
– Enables solar UV research on magnetic transition zone and improves solar
irradiance source imaging by including the UV
– Enables much improved X-ray, gamma-ray, cosmic-ray studies.
– 160 kft with 450 lb science instrument has been demonstrated.
• Advanced trajectory control, large aerostats capable of station
keeping and/or tethered balloons
– Enable Earth observations on spatial and temporal scales that satellites
cannot, complementing global satellite observations
– Could fly to desired location from any convenient launch/recovery site.
– ~70 kft, enable atmospheric studies, geophysical monitoring, and serve as a
platform for optical telescopes free of most of the atmospheric “seeing”
– ~130 kft, serve as a platform for optical telescopes comparable to Hubble
• Balloons capable of deployment elsewhere in the Solar System –
Venus, Mars, Titan
– Atmospheric studies
– Close monitoring of ground
44
Summary
• Scientific ballooning has made important contributions.
– Science results from balloon flights
– Instrument development for satellite missions
• Scientific ballooning will contribute to NASA’s objectives.
– Physics of the Universe, Space Science Strategy, Earth Science Strategy
• The current balloon program has substantial capability, but
– Funding for the the Balloon Program Office is barely adequate.
– Funding under SR&T for new instruments is inadequate.
• High-priority needs have been identified.
– Increased capability for long-duration balloon (LDB) flights
– High-altitude (125 kft) ULDB
– A restored UNEX program to provide a reliable funding source and
enable new science capability.
• There are exciting new possibilities for the next 10 to 30 years.
– Flights at 160 kft (less than 1 mb residual atmosphere)
– Advanced trajectory control and large aerostats
– Balloons capable of deployment on Venus, Mars, Titan
45
Objectives of the Balloon Roadmap Exercise
• Explain why the Balloon Program is important to NASA.
• Identify the scientific objectives for which ballooning has the greatest
potential to contribute significantly, and show their connection to NAS
reports, NASA strategic objectives, or other planning documents.
• Identify the ballooning requirements for optimal and minimal
programs, both in the near term and over the next 10 - 15 years.
• Recommend a program that fits into current funding, and identify the
impacts of such a program.
• Identify the highest priority augmentations and their science impacts.
• Tentative Balloon Roadmap Schedule
– Workshop 10 – 12 August 2004
– Viewgraph Presentation to SEUS/OS November 2004
– Final written report by March 2005
46
Mission Trends
(All NASA Scientific Balloon Flights)
NASA Balloon Flights Per Fiscal Year
1990-2003
50
45
Fewer flights
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Year
120
Longer duration missions
Average Hours /Flight
Flights / Year
40
Average Float Hours Per Flight
1990-2003
100
80
60
40
20
0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Year
47
48