Mars technology on a balloon to fly over the Atlantic
Press invitation from IRF and Swedish Space Corporation
Mars technology on a balloon to fly over the Atlantic This Monday, 9 June, is the first possible date for the Swedish-Swiss space experiment MEAP/P- BACE to be launched from Swedish Space Corporations launch facility Esrange Space Center outside Kiruna. The experiment, built by the University of Bern in Switzerland and the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), will fly for 5-6 days at an altitude of 40 km and land in Canada. The aim of the flight is to test a mass spectrometer that in the future can make measurements in the atmosphere at the surface of Mars.
Media are invited to attend the launch of MEAP The first possible launch day is 9 June and the so-called "launch window" closes on 4 July. The balloon will be launched as soon as the right conditions prevail, and they are dependent primarily on weather and wind. Media who are interested in being present at the launch can be added to a list to be contacted as soon as a launch is planned. Information about an impending launch is usually sent out the day or evening before.
In addition, an information day about the balloon mission is planned for June 11. Media wishing to attend are welcome and are kindly asked to notify us via the contact phone number below. Programme 11 June at Esrange Space Center 08.30 Arrival at Esrange 08.40 Current activities at Esrange (Dr. Olle Norberg, head of Esrange, Swedish Space Corporation) 09.10 Presentation on the MEAP mission and Mars (Prof. Stas Barabash, Swedish Institute of Space Physics) 09.25 Presentation on the mass spectrometer P-BACE (Dr. Martin Wieser, Swedish Institute of Space Physics) 09.40 Coffee 10.00 Walk to the balloon launch pad 10.10 Visit to the balloon launch pad to look at MEAP/P-BACE 10.50 Balloon release techniques (Per Baldemar, Esrange, Swedish Space Corporation) 11.10 MEAPs flight path and how it is estimated (Robert Mollenax) 11.30 Lunch
If the balloon launch takes place during this morning it will be included in the programme.
More information: The MEAP project and the P-BACE instrument: http://www.irf.se/meap-pbace Rocket- and balloon launches: http://www.ssc.se/?id=5734 Current activities at Esrange: http://www.ssc.se/?id=7695 Press bilder: http://www.irf.se/meap-pbace/pictures.php and http://www.ssc.se/?id=10730 Tidigare pressmeddelande: http://www.ssc.se/?id=7507&cid=10748&DivId=&Year=2008 Contact: Johanna Bergström-Roos, Head of Information, Esrange Space Center, Swedish Space Corporation or Rick McGregor, Information Officer, Swedish Institute of Space Physics. Tel: +46 980 790 77
Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) The Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) is a public research institute under the auspices of the Swedish Ministry of Education. IRF conducts research and postgraduate education in space physics, atmospheric physics and space technology. Measurements are made in the atmosphere, the ionosphere, the magnetosphere and around other planets with the help of stratospheric balloons, ground-based equipment (including radars) and satellites. At present IRF has instruments on board satellites in orbit round four planets: Earth, Venus, Mars and Saturn. IRF has c. 110 employees and has offices in Kiruna (head office), Umeå, Uppsala and Lund.