1st Balloon Workshop in Vienna
11. June 2007
On Monday, 11th of June, the first PolAres-Balloon workshop took place at Qasar Technologies in Vienna.
The day was dedicated to trade off studies and analysis of balloon subsystems and culminated in a document outlining the most important mission parameters and design choices. The balloon will be launched in Graz on 4th October 2007 and will reach a ceiling of about 100000 feet. The mission duration is approximately 4 hours. Total dry mass of balloon and payload is 5 kg - combining a sounding balloon with a lightweight glass-fiber reinforced plastic structure and lithium-ion batteries. Avionics will be using a RS-232 bus and signal transmission will take place using ham radio frequencies.
| "Passepartout"
will feature multiple cameras taking pictures in several directions as
well as a package of three environmental sensors, with the data and
pictures being transmitted down to the mission control center in
addition to on board Flash-RAM storage. A navigational package based on
satellite GPS data will provide information about the position and
altitude of the balloon. A radio signal emulating the original
"Sputnik" 1957 signal will be generated by the mission team, modulated
by internal temperature data from the balloon. Thus we combine
technical studies for the PolAres project with an event to celebrate
the 50 year anniversary of spaceflight. |
 |
PolAres Schedule Update
15. June 2012: Deadline Announcement of Opportunity MARS2013 25.-27. Oct. 2012: 3rd Conference on Terrestial Mars Analogues 01 - 28. February 2013: Morocco Mars Simulation
Between 01 - 28. February 2013, the Austrian Space Forum will conduct an integrated Mars analog field simulation in the northern Sahara near Erfoud, Morocco. Directed by a Mission Support Center in Austria, a small field crew will conduct experiments preparing for future human Mars missions mainly in the fields of engineering, planetary surface operations, astrobiology, geophysics/geology, life sciences and other.
This field mission is supported by the Ibn-Battuta-Center at the University of Marrakesh, Morocco. The Austrian Space Forum now solicitates proposals to be reviewed by a selection panel. The deadline for submissions is 15. June 2012, the announcement of the successful experiments will be released on 15. July 2012.
Detail
The analysis of Mars analogue environments on Earth is of paramount importance for the interpretation of the data from past, present and future orbital and landed missions, as well as mission planning (both robotic and human). Sedimentary environments in particular attract strong interest because they can retain the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental history of the planet and under the right conditions may harbour fossil or present life signatures.
Date: 25. - 27. October 2012
Location: Conference Centre of the Hotel Meridien N'Fis at Marrakech, Morocco Organization: European Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, International Association of Sedimentologits, Ibn Battuta Centre, IRSPS, Universite Cadi Ayyad.
Between 01 - 28. February 2013, the Austrian Space Forum will conduct an integrated Mars analog field simulation in the northern Sahara near Erfoud, Morocco. Directed by a Mission Support Center in Austria, a small field crew will conduct experiments preparing for future human Mars missions mainly in the fields of engineering, planetary surface operations, astrobiology, geophysics/geology, life sciences and other.
