Winds analysis for polar and equatorial stratospheric balloons flights
Ivano, Musso ; Cardillo, Andrea ; Ibba, Roberto ; et al.
Jan - 2008
journal : 37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Held 13-20 July 2008, in Montr\eal, Canada
type: Article Journal
Abstract
Astrophysicists, meteorologists and biologists are only some of the scientists that are requiring stratospheric flights and in particular Long Duration Balloon Flights for their researches and experiments. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) is therefore coordinating an effort for the developing of stratospheric balloons campaigns from North Pole, where ASI collaborates with Andoya Rocket Range preparing the Nobile/Amundsen Stratospheric Balloon Centre at Svalbard and from the ASI satellite receiving station in Malindi Kenya. Flights have been ongoing by other agencies in Antarctica. From the Northern Polar Region and Equatorial Africa similar flights will be possible without the logistical difficulties of that area. Answering to a specific scientific requirement, polar nocturnal and equatorial flights are now being investigated. Missions during polar winter are interesting because they provide regions of the sky where measurements are normally impossible. Trajectories are evaluated with a statistical wind analysis. Summer flights provide circular paths from Svalbard around the Pole and a safe recovery in Greenland after two weeks or more. The nocturnal flights do not have the same stability: isobaric lines are not centred above the Pole and trajectories around Svalbard involving Russia, Norway and Greenland are usual between December and February. For the equatorial missions we have analysed the statistical properties of trajectories considering the biennal oscillation and the seasonal effects of the stratospheric winds.
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