balloon
notes: label: Description
content: Balloon for stratospheric payloads manufactured by Raven Industries in 1990 using proprietary polyethylene film designated "Astrofilm D2". NASA collaborated with contractors, like Raven Industries, in the mid-1980s to develop a better balloon material, specifically with the goal of reducing flight failures of polyethylene balloons. The company labeled successive attempts at modifying film resins with names Astrofilm A, B, C, D, etc. Astrofilm D was described in a 1987 paper by an employee of the company as "a special purpose film for producing ultra thin gauges. It is used in relatively small, very lightweight balloons. It is currently in active use and has been routinely used in this type of balloon for four years." This balloon's specifications are as follows: volume 19,000 cubic feet, weight 7.5 lbs, inflated diameter 37 ft, inflated height 26 ft, nominal load 4.5 lbs, nominal altitude 100,000 ft.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Winker, James A. (01/1987). "Progress in scientific balloon materials and manufacturing technology". Advances in Space Research (0273-1177), 7 (7), p. 25.
label: Description
content: Research and Technology: Annual Report of the Goddard Space Flight Center, 1986, p. 135.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Biological Sciences
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Raven Industries, Inc.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1992.3211.01
label: nonaccession number
content: 1992.3211
label: catalog number
content: 1992.3211.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Balloon
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 58.4 cm x 24.1 cm x 24.1 cm; 23 in x 9 1/2 in x 9 1/2 in