[Project Topics] Atmospheric balloon experiment B16-02 to capture microorganisms in the stratosphere

JAXA released the first atmospheric balloon in Japan Fiscal Year 2016 from the Taiki Aerospace Research Field, which is a base for cooperation between the host town and JAXA, at 3:43 a.m. on June 8 (Wed.), 2016. The purpose of this experiment is to capture microorganisms in the stratosphere. The balloon used this time is a large-size one with a maximum expansion volume of 15,000 cubic meters (33.5 meters in diameter), and it ascended at a speed of 300 meters/minute.
The balloon entered in a state of horizontal floating at an altitude of 28 km over the Pacific Ocean some 35 km east from the Taiki Aerospace Research Field at one hour and 40 minutes after its release. At 5:50 a.m., the balloon and an instrument to collect microorganisms were detached by a radio command and they landed softly on the ocean about 30 km east from the Taiki Field. They were recovered by a boat at 6:28 a.m.

* We so far have a few reports about the existence of microorganisms in the upper Earth atmosphere (in the stratosphere and mesosphere) through collecting microorganisms. Understanding the kinds of organisms in the upper atmosphere and clarifying their distribution are very important to learn about the upper end of the Earth’s biosphere. The experiment this time aimed at capturing microorganisms while the instrument to collect them was detached from the balloon and descending by a parachute. After collection, microorganisms and particle specimens in the instrument are to be analyzed.

JAXA released the balloon “BS15-07” from the Taiki Aerospace Research Field at 5:02 a.m. on Aug. 22 (Sat.), 2015, aiming at verifying onboard instruments and operation of the satellite “EGG”*, which will be deployed from the International Space Station (ISS). The balloon was 11 meters in diameter when it was fully expanded, and it was ascending at a speed of about 380 meters per minute.
The weather balloon reached an altitude of 31.7 km over the Pacific Ocean at about 55 km east north east from the Taiki Field. The test object was slowly descending by a parachute and splash-landed at 95 km east north east from the Field. With this experiment, we completed the first series of balloon experiments in JFY 2015. We would like to express our profound appreciation to all pertinent parties who have supported the experiments.
*The experiment this time is part of the development project of the “Membrane Aeroshell for Atmospheric-entry Capsule”, which is expected to be applied for a future Earth re-entry (return) system. The experiment this time is a preliminary-phase test prior to the actual satellite “EGG” (re-Entry satellite with Gossamer aeroshell and GPS/Iridium) under development by a group led by the University of Tokyo. EGG will be deployed from the ISS.

JAXA released the balloon “BS15-03” from the Taiki Aerospace Research Field at 4:12 a.m. on Aug. 6 (Thu.), 2015, for the purpose of cryogenic sampling in the atmosphere at the stratosphere. The volume of the balloon when it was fully expanded was 100,000 m3 (with a diameter of 63.4 m), and it was ascending while gathering the atmosphere of the stratosphere.
The balloon reached an altitude of 34.8 km over the Pacific Ocean at about 50 km east from the Taiki field in three hours, then it was in a state of horizontally floating. At 7:49 a.m., the balloon and observation instrument was detached by a command radio wave to slowly descend to the ocean at about 30 km south east of the field. They were retrieved by a boat before 8:30 a.m.
*The purpose of this experiment was to gather a large amount of stratospheric atmosphere, which is thin, by solidifying it using a cryogenic method to collect most atmospheric contents via condensation solidification, then to provide the gathered atmosphere for density and isotope ratio measurement of various atmosphere contents including greenhouse gas.
While the balloon was ascending, horizontally floating and descending slowly, atmosphere was collected for each altitude. The gathered atmosphere will be analyzed in detail using an analyzer at each university.

On May 12, JAXA conducted a big balloon experiment in cooperation with some universities including Kobe University and Nagoya University from the balloon release base of the University of New South Wales, Australia. The experiment aims at elucidating the spatial structure of a celestial body and the gamma-ray emission mechanism by attaining high resolution observations using the emulsion gamma-ray telescope of Kobe and Nagoya Universities.
The balloon was released at 6:03 a.m. on May 12 (Japan Standard Time), and landed at 8:25 p.m. on the same day.

At 5:38 a.m. on September 8, 2010, JAXA released the fourth balloon of the second balloon experiment in Japan Fiscal Year 2010 from the Taiki Aerospace Research Field, the base of the collaborative work. The release experiment, called BS10-06, aimed at testing the high-altitude thin film balloon flight performance and observing the ozone and atmospheric gravitational waves. The balloon that was expanded to its full capacity of 60,000 m³ was made of a thin film for high altitude with a thickness of 3.4 micrometers, and it ascended about 300 meters per minute.
In this experiment, we achieved the scheduled objectives of flight verification for a thin-film high-altitude balloon using the polyethylene thin film that is wider than conventional films, and the balloon’s tearing mechanism for a thin-film balloon. At the same time, the balloon carried out precise observations on the ozone, wind velocity, temperature and air pressure using two kinds of ozone measurement devices — an optical type and electrochemical type (ECC,) — to observe the ozone’s altitude distribution and atmospheric gravitational waves between the near ground area and the upper stratosphere. Both the high-precision ECC ozonesonde and the precision optical ozonsonde functioned properly at an altitude of less than 30 km and higher than 30 km respectively, and we successfully observed the upper stratospheric regions at an altitude of 46.8 km.
We were able to acquire enough data to study changes in the ozone and atmospheric gravitational waves over years and places by comparing the data from this experiment with the first data acquisition at the Taiki Aerospace Research Field, and past observation results acquired at the Sanriku Balloon Center.