LDB -- The Long Duration Balloon

The LDB program is now at the start of launch operations for the 2009-10 season!

Two large balloons with payloads (CREAM and SPB) and five small balloons with payloads (BARREL) are to be flown this season.

(1) CREAM (Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass) is designed to study the origins of cosmic rays, measuring their composition from protons to iron nuclei.
The goal is to observe cosmic-ray spectral features and/or abundance changes as a function of energy that might signify a limit to supernova acceleration.
To learn more, visit: http://cosmicray.umd.edu/cream

(2) SPB (Super Pressure Balloon) This seven-million-cubic-foot super-pressure balloon is the largest single-cell, super-pressure, fully-sealed balloon ever flown. When development ends, NASA will have a 22 million-cubic-foot balloon that can carry a one-ton instrument to an altitude of more than 110,000 feet, which is three to four times higher than passenger planes fly.

(3) BARREL (Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses) BARREL is a multiple long duration balloon (LDB) project that will study radiation belt electron losses during the RBSP mission. Each balloon payload will include a three-inch by three-inch NaI scintillator that measures X-rays produced by electrons as they interact with neutrals in Earth's atmosphere.
You can follow their progress at: http://barrel2009.blogspot.com/

LDB is planning to make their first attempt to launch the CREAM payload:

Wednesday, December 2 at 02:00 AM.

For launch updates go to the Balloon Launches web page under Science on the McMurdo Home Page:

http://intranet.mcmurdo.usap.gov/science/ldb/

After a successful launch, you can follow flight tracking on the CSBF Antarctic Operations Home Page:

http://www.csbf.nasa.gov/antarctica/ice0910.htm

Happy Tracking!