Zero Pressure Balloon 2021 Campaign
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is collaborating with France's space agency (Centre national d'études spatiales, CNES) for the Zero Pressure Balloon (ZPB) campaign, KLIMAT , which will take place between and , in Kiruna, Sweden.
One of the four stratospheric balloon flights to take place during the campaign will carry two Canadian payloads to test new technologies, conduct science experiments and take measurements. The flight will last approximately 10 hours.
High-altitude balloons are uncrewed and usually filled with helium. They fly at altitudes ranging from 18 km to 40 km. The flights promote the next generation of specialists, advance our understanding of space science, and foster space innovation and knowledge. They also provide opportunities for technological advancements in a low-cost, low-risk environment, in order to develop future concepts for space missions.
A decade of collaboration for science
The CSA and CNES have been working together since to generate scientific collaboration between the two countries. According to the terms of the collaboration agreement signed in , the CSA would supply a Canadian balloon launch facility in exchange for access to the CNES annual launch campaigns in Canada and other sites around the world.
CNES had been searching for a mid-latitude launch site for science missions, and Timmins, Ontario, was chosen based on its optimal infrastructure and ideal launch conditions year-round. The agreement provides Canadian academia and industry access to CNES's worldwide network of stratospheric balloon flight opportunities, benefitting from the vast experience France has developed in the field, with more than 3,500 balloon launches in over 50 years.
List of payloads
ALI v2 (Aerosol Limb Imager)
Partner: University of Saskatchewan
Objective: Demonstrate hyperspectral imaging system for remote sensing of climate-related atmospheric constituents
Flight details:
- Time of flight: day
- Mass: approximately 40 kg
- Power: approximately 200 watts (nominal)
- Experience: re-flight (flew with STRATOS in , & )
HIPTA
Partner: DRDC Valcartier
Objective: Demonstrate effectiveness of a high-sensitivity Earth observation camera
Flight details:
- Time of flight: night
- Mass: approximately 40 kg
- Power: about 230 watts (nominal)
- Experience: first flight with STRATOS
Contact
Should you have any questions regarding the STRATOS program, contact us at stratos_administration@asc-csa.gc.ca.