Atmospheric research balloon

RAON-1 (Radiation and Atmospheric Observation Balloon) is a small in development weather balloon being worked on by ASTRUM Exploration as a small relatively simple high-altitude science mission. The mission has 2 potential flight profiles, the preferred flight profile is a flight where the balloon will be launched into an active thunderstorm where it will look for natural EM radiation events (Gamma Ray and X-Ray) from lightning. Not too much is known about these radiation events in thunderstorms beyond they happen and they are detectable with different radiation instruments. RAON-1 will carry a radiation detector that will log the ambient radiation and if we are lucky may be able to pick up these radiation bursts as well as the levels at different altitudes.

The second “backup” flight profile if regulations get in the way is a flight like other balloons with the same goals minus the active storm. Other instruments that will be involved with the payload is a camera, a thermocouple and possibly other instruments to measure atmospheric conditions (The science payload is dependent on how much funding we scrape together).

High altitude balloons aren’t all that special and they are fairly easy to make and common to fly, the difference here is we hope to fly into an active storm, gather multiple data sets, and test some hardware for other ASTRUM Exploration projects.

All ASTRUM Exploration projects are 100% out of pocket and donation funded, all raised on this page will go towards the balloon, theoretically all we need is around $400 for the balloon and its base components but the more we make the better equipment we can put onboard.

The flight date is not set in stone however it is planned for this summer possibly in July or August, maybe sooner.