Source : Canadian Space Agency
Following a favorable weather briefing, the go-ahead was given for a launch shortly after midnight Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Saturday, September 14, 2013. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the French space agency, the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), launched the second and biggest stratospheric balloon of their Stratos Balloon Program at 1:28 AM EDT. The balloon is 800,000 m3 (28,250,000 cu. ft.) and nearly 324 meters (1063 ft.) in length—equal to the height of the Eiffel Tower
This second test flight has two Canadian payloads aboard. Canadian firm DPL Science Inc. will test a generic power subsystem that could potentially be used in subsequent balloon campaigns and onboard satellites. Canadian firm Xiphos will test a payload consisting of a new miniaturized data-processing card technology. Xiphos hopes to certify this technology for use in future space missions.
The balloon rose to 39,5 km (24.55 miles), flew for about thirteen hours. at 2:25 PM it landed North-East of the city of Amos, Quebec.. A recovery team was sent to the landing site to pick up the balloon envelope and the flight chain.
Pascal Perreault photographed the balloon at 12:45 pm over Amos, Quebec.
Click here for the anatomy of a stratospheric balloon.
Click here for the sequence of a typical stratospheric balloon launch.
Source : Canadian Space Agency