CNES KLIMAT 2021

The CNES campaign are part of the infrastructure project Hemera, within the European program Horizon 2020. The project is coordinated by the French space agency CNES.

A total of four flights were operated on the Esrange by CNES during August, starting on 13 August. On board the stratospheric balloons were as many as 17 different instruments, which were used to measure the presence of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and other greenhouse gases at different levels in the atmosphere. The purpose of the measurements is to find out how climate change has affected the earth’s system and the carbon dioxide cycle.

Flight details

1 st Flight

13 August: First balloon carried a twin gondola with two scientific experiments aiming at analyzing several climate components in the stratosphere. After a quick recovery, the experiments were transported back to Esrange in less than two hours after landing.

2 nd Flight

16 August: The second balloon carried five different experiments to measure: Xenon isotopic concentration, impact of radiation on human cells, radiation measurements, qualification of solar cells and mesospheric clouds imager. The latter was designed by the Institute for Space Physics, IRF, and aimed at measuring the connection between the forming of ice crystals around dust particles and climate change in the Earth’s atmosphere.

3 rd Flight

22 August: The third balloon (400,000 m3) carried a gondola of more than 500 kg with a Gloria-B – TotalBRO spectrometer and limb imager ALI onboard. The balloon flew for 12 hours at an altitude of 36 km while conducting atmospheric research.

4 th Flight

23 August: The fourth and last balloon carried a gondola of 523 kg aiming at researching on the greenhouse effect by using an aircore absorber and an amulse laser diode spectrometer to make a sounding of the atmosphere.

In addition to the four main balloons, SSC launched daily metrological sounding balloons and ozonesondes, as well as supported the recovery of 10 smaller balloons via helicopter.