Global balloon flight obstacles and opportunities

Global ballooning is inherently an international activity with the need for international agreements to fly over sovereign territories. Tests of super-pressure balloons indicate that 60-100 day flights will be demonstrated in the near future, although there are some additional technical issues that limit mission performance, such as measurable trajectory control, wide-band telemetry and night time power systems. If these issues can be resolved, scientists will be able to reap the benefits of more frequent access to near-space for cutting-edge research and technology development. The cost effectiveness of long-duration balloon missions compared to orbital missions allows more scientists to focus on research topics that need the space environment. Following the 2000 Warsaw meeting, the COSPAR Bureau agreed to constitute a task group to look into the complex issues associated with long-duration stratospheric balloon flights. The international scientific community should support this study and reach out to potential users of this new capability. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.