Purpose of the flight and payload description
Main payload onboard this mission was POPS acronym for Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer an instrument developed by the Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States, to measure atmospheric aerosol particle size distributions and number concentrations. Its compact, lightweight design and low power consumption make it suitable for balloon-borne measurements in the troposphere and stratosphere.
POPS operates by measuring light scattered by individual aerosol particles passing through a focused 405-nanometer laser beam. The scattered light is collected by optical components and directed toward a photomultiplier tube, which converts it into an electrical signal. The signal amplitude is related to particle size. The instrument's electronic system processes and records these signals, allowing individual particles to be classified by diameter. Particle sizes are determined using calibration and Mie scattering theory. The instrument incorporates an aerosol inlet, a controlled airflow system, an optical measurement chamber, a laser, a photomultiplier detector, and data acquisition electronics. A sheath-air flow helps confine particles as they pass through the measurement region. The system is designed to operate under the low-pressure conditions encountered at high altitudes.
The fly was performed as part of BATAL (Balloon Measurements of the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer) a campaign whose goal is the investigation of the ATAL (Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer).
Also was included on this flight as a ride share payload a probe called SWAEROSAT-1 a student-designed experiment developed by a 15-member team from the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS), in Telangana, India. Its principal objective was to investigate cosmic radiation and measure ozone concentration at different altitudes in the atmosphere. The project was intended to obtain measurements in the stratosphere and compare the results with global standards, providing information on the variation of these atmospheric parameters with altitude. The mission also had an educational objective: to give students from Telangana's social welfare residential schools practical experience in designing and developing a scientific instrument. The team worked with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Balloon Facility in Hyderabad, which supported the project, while personnel from Swaero-Sapiens Automation Solutions provided mentorship and training. The students participated in the design of the probe, making the project a hands-on introduction to atmospheric research and scientific instrumentation.
Details of the balloon flight
Balloon launched on: 7/18/2019 at 2:40 ist
Launch site: TIFR National Balloon Facility, Hyderabad, India
Balloon launched by: National Balloon Facility, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 7/18/2019
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 4 h
Landing site: In Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India
External references
- A light-weight, high-sensitivity particle spectrometer for PM2.5 aerosol measurements Aerosol Science and Technology, 50(1), 88 (2016)
- BATAL POPS flight (July 2019) (Version V1.0) [Dataset] Zenodo website
- Social Welfare students launch SWAEROSAT-1 Hans News Service, India
Images of the mission
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