Purpose of the flight and payload description
The CLIC (Compact Large Sensor Imaging Camera) is a compact, high-resolution imaging instrument developed at the Lowell Center for Space Science & Technology designed to acquire wide-field images while maintaining a small physical footprint. The camera provides an angular resolution of approximately 2 arcseconds, equivalent to 1/3,600 of a degree, and has a field of view of about 4 degrees. For comparison, the Moon has an apparent diameter of approximately 0.5 degrees, allowing the instrument to image an area several times wider than the lunar disk.
The CLIC imaging system is housed in a package measuring approximately 4 × 3 inches, excluding the cooling system attached to the detector, as we can see in the image at left.
During this mission, the instrument acquired Earth imagery from high altitude and processed the images onboard. Image analysis was performed using a machine-learning model implemented on a commercial off-the-shelf field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The model was designed to identify and mask clouds, allowing image-processing and exposure-control functions to disregard pixels that do not contain useful surface information. This approach is intended to reduce data-storage and transmission-bandwidth requirements while improving automatic exposure-compensation algorithms.
CLIC is designed as a reusable platform for subsequent flights. Its architecture can support more complex onboard data-processing models and additional optical capabilities, including multispectral imaging.
Details of the balloon flight
Balloon launched on: 7/15/2026 at 14:50 UTC
Launch site: Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, Texas, US
Balloon launched by: Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon
Flight identification number: 1602P
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 7/15/2026 at 21:10 UTC (L)
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ): 6 h 20 m
Landing site: 23 km SW of Sterling City, Texas, US
External references
Images of the mission
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