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Figures and Photos

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BESS shortly before launch
BESS shortly before launch in Antarctica, December 13, 2004

medium sized image (hi-res version is very large)

BESS magnet
Diagram of the new thin-wall BESS-Polar superconducting magnet.
This magnet has 75% less matter in the cosmic ray beam than the previous BESS instrument.

medium sized image (hi-res version is very large)

BESS at NASA GSFC
BESS-Polar integration at NASA GSFC
BESS at NASA GSFC
BESS-Polar integration at NASA GSFC
BESS at NASA GSFC
BESS-Polar integration at NASA GSFC
BESS in Palestine, TX BESS-Polar final integration in Palestine, TX, September 2004
BESS in weatherport
BESS-Polar at McMurdo, December 2004
BESS hang test
BESS-Polar "hang test" at McMurdo, December 2004
BESS ready for launch
BESS-Polar ready to launch in Antarctica, December 13, 2004
BESS balloon is released
Balloon which will bear BESS-Polar aloft is released. The rope-like material below the bubble is uninflated balloon.
First moment of BESS flight
BESS-Polar leaves the launch vehicle - first moment of flight!





This page was authored by Dr. Robert Streitmatter of the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics (LHEA) at NASA's GSFC.