Details of the balloon and launch operations

Launch site:Base di Lancio Luigi Broglio, Trapani, Sicily, Italy  
  Launch team: ASI
Balloon: Open balloon (zero pressure)  
Serial number: -
Flight identification number: -
Campaign: - 
Payload weight: -
Gondola weight: -
Overall weight: -

The balloon was launched on August 20th, 1995 using the dynamic method assisted by launch vehicle.

After a nominal ascent phase, the balloon reached float altitude but soon started a descending phase taking an easterly direction, instead of continuing westward toward the sea.

It flew over Sicily slowly losing altitude and generating a lot of UFO reports. It was lost os sight in the late afternoon over the Jonian Sea.

The capsule was separated from the balloon and amerized in the sea in the east coast of the island and was recovered after an intensive night search using helicopters.



Description of the payload or experiment

ARD (Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator)

Responsable institution:  Alenia Spazio - European Space Agency - CNES
Principal Investigator:   

The objective of the test was the qualification of ARD's landing and recovery subsystem for a later reentry test onboard an Ariane-5 rocket.

The capsule mock-up (with sensors and cameras to analyse the dynamic behavior) was released from a height of 23 kms, and splashed in the sea under a parachute.



Performance in flight and data obtained


The unexpected balloon failure prevented to perform the drop test.



External references and bibliographical sources