This website is kept for archival purposes only and is no longer updated.
| Balloon Behavior: | |
| Balloon Ascent Rate : | typical 800-1000 fpm |
| Balloon Rotation Rates : | typical < 60 deg/min at float have seen during ascent/descent ~ 180 deg/min |
| Balloon Dynamics : | (Vertical Oscillations & Frequency Forthcoming) |
| Loads: | |
| Launch : | typical < 1.5 g's |
| Ascent : | typical < 1.1 g's due to wind shears, ballast drops, etc. |
| Terminate : | typical < 10 g's |
| Impact Velocity : | typical < 20 fps |
| Atmospheric : | |
| Tropics : | -90C @ ~ 50-60 k-ft altitude |
| Polar : | -45C @ ~ 30-35 k-ft altitude |
| mid-latitude : | -55C @ ~45-60 k-ft --> -80C in summer (seasonal & latitudinal fluctuations) |
| Radiation: | |
| Solar Constant (seasonal) : | 1358 W/m2 (nominal) |
| 1312 W/m2 (minimum) | |
| 1404 W/m2 (maximum) | |
| Albedo : | 0.1 (minimum) |
| 0.9 (maximum) polar | |
| Earth Flux: | 64 W/m2 (minimum, Tropospheric cloud top temperatures of 183K) |
| 594 W/m2 (maximum, Desert @ 320K planet temperature) |
