Sounding-balloon

See also: Balloon

The sounding-balloon was invented by Gustave Hermite in 1892. A sounding-balloon ( sounding balloon in English), in the fields of the Meteorology and the Astronautics, is a free balloon not inhabited, used to make local measurements in the atmosphere. Its principal interest is to be able to reach Altitude S of approximately 30 km even more, which it is impossible to make with more conventional means such as the Avion S. Its price is in addition without common measurement with that of a satellite.

Types of sounding-balloons

There exist several types of sounding-balloons:
  • standard sounding-balloons inflated with the Helium which can carry important loads in high-altitude. In this case, the balloon is closed and in elastic compounds, which implies that it bursts around 30 km because of the very low Pression reigning at this altitude;
  • open balloons: composed of a light envelope, they are opened by bottom and thus make it possible helium progressively to leave the rise. They can reach up to 45 km of altitude and remain there up to 4 days. This type of sounding-balloon represents the majority of the balloons launched within a scientific framework;
  • pressurized balloons inflated with helium. Those consist of a rigid envelope preventing them from bursting. They can thus remain weeks in the atmosphere - between 10 and 20 km - and make it possible to carry out experiments of long life, being able to fly over different grounds;
  • the balloons infra-red: the envelope is often aluminized and allows the entry of the rays Infrarouge S of the Sun, which makes it possible to heat the air contained in the balloon in a continuous way and this same with high-altitude. The day, the balloon goes up to approximately 28 km and descends the night around 20 km. The great interest of this type of balloon is their very long life of life; flights of several months were thus already carried out and make it possible to make several times the round the world tour!

Constitution

A sounding-balloon consists of a flight train , composed by:
  • the balloon itself, drawing the remainder from the chain
  • a Parachute in the majority of the cases, in order to allow a descent carefully
  • a Transpondeur allowing the air-traffic controllers to know his position - or reflectors radar for the simplest balloons
  • One or more Nacelle S, often which can be detached with phases different from the flight, if necessary each one with its parachute and/or its clean Transponder. It is the nacelle (the wicker basket and less used than the simple box) which contains the experiments.

Use

The majority of the experimental balloons have a goal of study of the atmosphere (for example: the layer of ozone) and are implemented by professionals such as CNES or of the Université S. There exist also balloons Météo of which the goal is to raise the Température, the moisture, the speed and the force of the Vent S which help with the development of weather forecasting: they are the radiosondage explorations. In France, there exist 7 stations of radiosondage exploration which release a balloon weather, some in an automatic way, have 0:00 UTC and 12:00 UTC.

Lastly, it should be specified that the sounding-balloon can be also implemented by amateurs, in particular the aerospace clubs and the Radioamateur S. They are here a ludic design and technique that purely scientist.

Balloons at the school

The balloons probes are formidable vectors for the experiments. Therefore the CNES in partnership with Planête Sciences makes it possible to the young people to create them even them (S) experiment (S). Those will then be hung in a nacelle which a latex balloon will take along to 25-30kms of altitude.

These experiments undertaken already in many schools (~150 per annum) make it possible to the pupils studied the atmosphere, pollution, to take photographs or films at various altitudes…

" A balloon for the école" (UBPE) is a means which makes it possible young people to implement their own experiences " in vrai".

Statistically and thanks to the sticker posed on the nacelle one recovers 2 balloons on 3.
In certain areas, the radio hams are put at contribution for the recovery of the balloon. A module GPS associated with a transmitter and an interface APRS allows a precise localization in real-time of the nacelle during almost all the vol. research on the ground is carried out then by traditional Radiogoniométrie. The rate of recovery can then reach 100%. The pupils can follow the displacement of the balloon on a bottom of chart thanks to a suitable software.

See too

Reference

Right French: decree of February 20th, 1995 relating to the terminology of sciences and space technology.

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