In the table below you will find the records of stratospheric balloons launched from different countries during 1981, which are currently available in StratoCat's database. Each row displays essential information such as the launch base, date and time of launch, and, if known, the mission duration and landing site of the payload. Clicking on the experiment name will offer details about the scientific institutions involved, a summary of the experiment's purpose and results, and other relevant information on the balloon flight, including references and images. Clicking on the arrows at the top and the bottom of the table you can move to other year's tables.
| Launch base | Date | Flight Duration | Experiment | Payload landing place or cause of the failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Siple Dome | 1/5 | 38 h | X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
| Siple Dome | 1/7 | 4 h | X-RAY + ELECTRIC FIELD + VLF DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
| Siple Dome | 1/13 | 35 h 30 m | X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
| Siple Dome | 1/14 | 35 h 30 m | X-RAY + VLF DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
 Laramie (WY) | 1/15 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
 Guaratinguetá (SP) | 1/29 | --- | SKY ANCHOR XII | Main balloon failure |
| Guaratinguetá (SP) | 2/2 | 4.51 mb | RACCOON (Radiation Controlled Balloon) | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 2/12 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 2/19 | 11 h | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES / STUB DUCT TEST FLIGHT | 10 Miles SE of Manny, Louisiana, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 2/20 | F 11 h | BMLS (Balloon-borne Microwave Limb Sounder) | 5 Miles W Of Newton , Texas, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 3/9 | 8 h 55 m | POSITIVE ION MEASUREMENTS | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 3/19 | 4 h 10 m | SOLAR IR MEASUREMENTS | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 3/20 | F 6 h 15 m | STUB DUCT TEST FLIGHT | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 3/23 | 5 h | FOURIER TRANSFORM SPECTROMETER | 25 miles SE of Hobbs, New Mexico, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 3/24 | --- | STATIC LAUNCH TEST | Nsbf Launch Pad |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 4/1 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 4/5 | 5 h 40 m | ASHCAN | 24 miles WNW of Midland, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 4/6 | F 12 h | COMMUNICATION TEST | 20 Miles SW of Montgomery, Alabama, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 4/6 | F 9 h 20 m | COMMUNICATION TEST | 10 Miles S of Laurel, Mississippi, US |
| Barking Sands (HI) | 4/6 | 19 h 30 m | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 4/9 | 5 h 50 m | SOLAR IRRADIANCE MEASUREMENTS | 20 miles E of Roswell, New Mexico, US |
| Laramie (WY) | 4/9 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| S.J.dos Campos (SP) | 4/14 | 5 h | ELECTRIC FIELD | In Caraguatatuba - Sao Paulo |
 TIFR Hyderabad | 4/20 | 4 h 30 m | X-RAY STUDIES | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 4/22 | 8 h | UV SPECTROMETER | In Benson, Arizona, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 4/24 | --- | TEST FLIGHT OF BALLOON MADE OF NEW MATERIAL | Balloon failure at launch |
| Palestine (TX) | 4/25 | F 12 h | HIGH RESOLUTION IR SOLAR OBSERVATION | 11 Miles E of El Dorado, Arkansas, US |
| Barking Sands (HI) | 4/27 | 1 h 30 m | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | Near the launch site |
| Laramie (WY) | 5/5 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/7 | F 5 h | UV O3 PHOTOMETER + LYMAN ALPHA HYGROMETER | 10 Miles SW of Lufkin, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/7 | F 22 h | MSBS (Mass Spectrometer-Beam System) | 3 Miles NW of Mineola, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/7 | F 21 h | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 15 Miles NE of Gainesville, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/11 | F 15 h | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 26 Miles W of Ft. Stockton, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 5/11 | F 18 h 40 m | BMLS (Balloon-borne Microwave Limb Sounder) | 23 Miles SE of Ft. Stockton, Texas, US |
| Laramie (WY) | 5/14 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
 Sanriku | 5/17 | --- | STATIC LAUNCH METHOD VERIFICATION | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 5/21 | --- | STRATOSPHERIC WATER VAPOUR MEASUREMENTS | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 5/26 | --- | HIGH ENERGY PARTICLES OBSERVATION | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 5/27 | --- | BOOMERANG FLIGHT TEST | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 5/28 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
 Paardefontein | 5/28 | + 116 d | ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY STUDY + GRAVITY WAVES | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 5/31 | --- | DFS (Direct Flow Sampler) + CRYOGENIC SAMPLER | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 5/31 | --- | POINTING SYSTEM VERIFICATION OF AN INFRARED TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/2 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 6/3 | --- | TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 6/4 | 8 h | DFS (Direct Flow Sampler) + CRYOGENIC SAMPLER | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 6/4 | --- | ATMOSPHERIC INFRARED ABSORPTION SPECTRUM | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 6/5 | --- | MAGNETOMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 6/6 | F 24 h | GAMMA RAY EXPERIMENT | 18 Miles SW of Corona, New Mexico, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 6/7 | F 5 h 50 m | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES / STUB DUCT TEST FLIGHT | 7 Miles SW of Dublin, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 6/8 | F 11 h 30 m | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 14 Miles SW of Coleman, Texas, US |
| Sanriku | 6/9 | --- | PAYLOAD RECOVERY SYSTEM DROP TEST | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/10 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Paardefontein | 6/10 | 17 d | MIR (Montgolfier Infra-Rouge) | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 6/10 | --- | MICROGRAVITY TEST | --- No Data --- |
 Gap-Tallard | 6/12 | --- | MASS SPECTROMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/17 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Gap-Tallard | 6/19 | 14 h | OPTICAL OZONESONDE | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/22 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Gap-Tallard | 6/24 | --- | SOLAR SPECTROGRAPH | --- No Data --- |
| Gap-Tallard | 6/25 | 7 h 30 m | OPTICAL OZONESONDE | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 6/25 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 6/27 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
 Trapani | 6/29 | 18 h 5 m | CLYTONEE | 100 km N of Sevilla, Spain |
| Palestine (TX) | 6/30 | F 12 h 30 m | OBSERVATIONS OF ANISOTROPIES OF COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND | 40 Miles N of Pecos, Texas, US |
 Gimli (MB) | 7/?? | --- | SOLAR TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 7/2 | F 13 h | OBSERVATIONS OF ANISOTROPIES OF COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND | 30 Miles SW of Pecos Texas, US |
| Trapani | 7/6 | 2 h | POLIFEMO | Near Sciacca, Sicily, Italy |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 7/7 | 3 h 30 m | ASHCAN | 17 miles E of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, US |
| Laramie (WY) | 7/8 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 7/13 | --- | ASHCAN | Balloon failure during inflation |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 7/14 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 7/14 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 7/14 | --- | ASHCAN | Balloon failure at launch |
| Trapani | 7/14 | 16 h 28 m | MINIZEBRA | 50 km N of Huelva, Spain |
| Laramie (WY) | 7/18 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Roswell Muni. (NM) | 7/21 | ~ 4 h | BAMM II (Balloon Altitude Mosaic Measurements) | In White Sands Rocket Range, New Mexico, US |
| Trapani | 7/21 | 16 h 02 m | POKER-HXR81M | Near Llerena, 100 km N of Sevilla, Spain |
| Palestine (TX) | 7/24 | --- | SOLAR CELL CALIBRATION | Balloon failure during inflation |
| Palestine (TX) | 7/25 | F 7 h | SOLAR CELL CALIBRATION | 43 miles NW of Big Springs, Texas, US |
| Trapani | 8/3 | 15 h 02 m | ULYSEE | 60 km N of Sevilla, Spain |
| Laramie (WY) | 8/4 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Trapani | 8/6 | 23 h 30 m | TXC (Transient X-RAY Camera) - ENEA | 60 km N of Sevilla, Spain |
| Palestine (TX) | 8/11 | F 6 h 20 m | STUB DUCT TEST FLIGHT | 8 miles NE of Colman, Texas, US |
| Laramie (WY) | 8/20 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 8/22 | 13 h 30 m | FAR INFRARED EXPERIMENT | 13 miles S of Midland, Texas, US |
| Gimli (MB) | 8/27 | --- | CERENKOV-SCINTILLATION COUNTER TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 8/29 | --- | VERIFICATION OF ATTITUDE CONTROL SYSTEM | --- No Data --- |
| Sanriku | 9/2 | --- | GRAB SAMPLER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/5 | --- | HIGH RESOLUTION IR SOLAR OBSERVATION | 30 miles E of Waco, Texas, US |
| Sanriku | 9/5 | 13 h | SOLAR TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/6 | 15 h 50 m | BIRAP (Balloon InfraRed Astronomy Platform) | 20 miles SE of Pecos, Texas, US |
| Greenville (SC) | 9/9 | F 45 h | SKY ANCHOR XIII | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/10 | F 12 h 20 m | U.V. EXPERIMENT | 51 miles S of San Angelo, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/12 | F 15 h 45 m | GOLDENER DRACHE TELESKOP | 30 miles W of Ozona, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/14 | 15 h 25 m | 60 CM INFRARED TELESCOPE | 12 miles W of Brownwood, Texas, US |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 9/14 | --- | MASS SPECTROMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 9/18 | --- | SPECTROPHOTOMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/19 | --- | ULTRAVIOLET EXPERIMENT | 5 miles W of Alto, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/21 | F 22 h 30 m | CRYOGENIC SAMPLER (NCAR) | 10 miles S of Vernon, Texas, US |
| Sanriku | 9/21 | --- | GLIDING PARACHUTE TEST | --- No Data --- |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 9/21 | --- | PACIMS (Passive Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry) | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/23 | F 25 h 15 m | ULTRAVIOLET EXPERIMENT | 35 miles W of Pecos, Texas, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/23 | 13 h 40 m | FAR INFRARED EXPERIMENT | 15 miles SW of Waco, Texas, US |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 9/24 | --- | SPECTROMETER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/28 | F 26 h | XG EXPERIMENT | 20 miles SE of Portales, NeW Mexico, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/28 | 22 h | HEXE (High Energy X-Ray Experiment) | 32 miles SW of Dalhart, Texas, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 9/29 | 5 h 15 m | BIMS (Balloon Borne Ion Mass Spectrometer) | 16 miles NE of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, US |
| Sanriku | 9/29 | --- | OBSERVATION OF STRATOSPHERIC OZONE | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 9/30 | --- | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | Balloon failure at 53.000 ft. Landing 8 miles SW of Alto, Texas, US |
| Sanriku | 9/30 | ~ 30 h | HECRO 81 (High Energy primary Cosmic Ray Observation) | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 10/1 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/7 | 6 h 15 m | SCRIBE (Stratospheric CRyogenic Interferometer Balloon Experiment) | 39 miles NE of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/7 | --- | CHLORINE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS | Balloon failure at launch |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/8 | 54 h 30 m | CHLORINE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS | 21 miles NE of Farmington, Missouri, US |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 10/8 | --- | CRYOGENIC SAMPLER (KFA) | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 10/10 | --- | JACEE 3 (Japanese-American Collaborative Emulsion Experiment) - Failure | Aborted Flight |
| Aire Sur L'Adour | 10/17 | --- | PACIMS (Passive Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry) | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 10/19 | 18 h 10 m | COSMIC BACKGROUND RADIATION | 22 miles N of Greenwood, Mississippi, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 10/19 | F 7 h 54 m | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 28 miles SW of Longview, Texas, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/20 | 4 h 15 m | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 13.5 miles SE of Roswell, New Mexico, US |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 10/27 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Holloman AFB (NM) | 11/2 | --- | ASHCAN | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 11/4 | ~ 12.00 h | RADIOMETER 90 GHZ | 6 miles SE of Leaksville, Mississippi, US |
| Palestine (TX) | 11/4 | 10 h 20 m | NO/NO2 CHEMILUMINESCENCE DETECTOR + UV O3 PHOTOMETER | 25 miles S of Monroe, Louisiana, US |
| Laramie (WY) | 11/5 | 1 h 30 m | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Nagashima | 11/10 | 84 h 31 m | DOUBLE EAGLE V (Abruzzo - Aoki - Clark - Newman) | Near Covelo, California, US |
 Alice Springs | 11/10 | 24 h 30 m | UCR GAMMA RAY TELESCOPE | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 11/20 | F 8 h 30 m | ENGINEERING TEST FLIGHT | 3 miles S of Clinton, Louisiana, US |
| Alice Springs | 11/20 | 19 h | LEGS (Low Energy Gamma-ray Spectrometer) | 300 miles W of Alice Springs, Australia |
| Alice Springs | 11/21 | 30 h 5 m | BELL/SANDIA GAMMA RAY TELESCOPE | 311 miles WNW of Alice Springs, Australia |
| S.J.dos Campos (SP) | 11/28 | 7 h | MASER 24,5 ghz | In Manuel - Sao Paulo |
| Laramie (WY) | 11/30 | --- | OZONE DETECTORS TEST | --- No Data --- |
| Alice Springs | 12/1 | F 12 h | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | --- No Data --- |
| Alice Springs | 12/1 | --- | COSMIC RAY EXPERIMENT | Balloon failure |
| Alice Springs | 12/1 | F 10 h 10 m | UTIC 81 (University of Tasmania / Imperial College 1981) | --- No Data --- |
| Laramie (WY) | 12/7 | --- | AEROSOL COUNTER | --- No Data --- |
| Palestine (TX) | 12/9 | F 4 h 40 m | ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES | 21 miles of Natchez, Mississippi, US |
| S.J.dos Campos (SP) | 12/18 | 5 h 43 m | X-RAY DETECTOR | --- No Data --- |
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