For decades, scientific balloons have been a key tool in space research, often deployed from planes or beneath satellites. Alan Stern, co-founder of the Planetary Science Institute and CEO of World View, emphasized that commercial balloon flights are unlocking new scientific possibilities, such as cost-effective monitoring of natural disasters, studying Earth's geology, and even exploring Venus.
(Original title: Scientific Balloons: Soaring Above Satellites and Planes – Commercial Companies Boost U.S. Orbital Research)
[Image: http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/b9/6c/69/9f7d60a350275362603e9ef672.jpg]
By Fang Linlin
While satellites offer global coverage, they often provide lower-resolution images. In contrast, balloons can hover over specific areas for detailed observation. Carl Scibitz, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, highlighted that balloon-based observations are powerful tools that complement other methods.
This perspective was shared at the recent Next-Generation Suborbital Research Conference in Colorado. What has surprised many in the industry is that private companies like World View are now able to deliver payloads to the stratosphere—between 16 and 30 kilometers high—quickly and at a fraction of the cost.
Private companies are making scientific research more affordable. World View entered the spotlight in 2017 with its standardized Stratollite platform, which can carry multiple experiments under a single balloon.
Stern noted that launching a payload on NASA’s balloons could cost over a million dollars, but using the Stratollite platform with shared experiments brings the cost down to tens of thousands.
Jane Porter, CEO of World View, aims to conduct four flights per month in 2018. Each flight sends a Stratollite into the stratosphere, with current missions lasting up to five days. The company hopes to extend this to several weeks soon.
Robert Green, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, recently used a balloon to test equipment designed for a potential Venus mission. While Earth's surface is too hot for long-term operations, Venus’ milder atmosphere makes it ideal for balloon testing.
In October, a balloon provided by World View took off from Idaho, traveled 500 km through Montana, and collected data on how equipment performs over granite-rich terrain. This kind of data could help understand Venus' geological conditions. The team plans to continue their experiments in May.
World View is also working on keeping balloons at a stable altitude. Since Hurricane Maria last year, the company has tested balloons for internet connectivity in various regions.
NASA is developing advanced balloon technology. Thomas Tseringer Chen, NASA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science, said that World View’s platforms are valuable for many experiments. However, NASA is also working on next-generation technologies, including super-pressure balloons that can fly for 100 days—ideal for long-term astronomical studies. These projects face challenges in both cost and engineering.
Adrien Haydoff, a planetary scientist at the University of Central Florida, sees stratospheric balloons as a new opportunity for space exploration, particularly for studying dust behavior in low-gravity environments. “I’m interested in developing the ability of balloons to conduct microgravity research, though this hasn’t been achieved yet,†he said.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers are also looking ahead. They hope to use stratospheric balloons to detect low-frequency seismic signals, preparing for future missions to Venus.
Product details and pic
All black solar panels or black frame Solar Panel, power range around 400w to 460w which is higher solar panel efficiency the front black or front and back are both black.
All black solar panel data
| mono type | mono crystalline half cut cell |
| power range | 400watt to 460watt |
| dimensions | 1176*1134*30mm |
| type | monofacial type or bifacial type |
Product details and pic
All Black Solar Panel,Trina Solar Panel Vertex S,Mono Crystalline Pv Modules,Full Black Solar Panels 420Watt
PLIER(Suzhou) Photovoltaic Technology Co., Ltd. , https://www.pliersolar.com