Research balloon
A research balloon is a mostly unmanned balloon that is filled with a lifting gas and is used for scientific research.
In addition to atmospheric research , a research balloon can also be used for astronomical research, as in the context of the Stratoscope project . The simplest form of the research balloon is the weather balloon, also known as a radiosonde . However, it is usually not counted among the actual research balloons, since the weather balloons are started routinely.
Real research balloons are only launched a few times. Their instrumentation is much more complex than weather balloons. Since research balloons reach heights where the air is too thin to breathe, research balloons are mostly unmanned and the experiments are remotely controlled. In the past few decades, however, there were several manned research balloons equipped with pressurized cabins, such as those by Auguste Piccard in the 1930s and the Manhigh flights in the USA in the 1950s.
Research balloons were not only used on Earth. With the help of research balloons, the high atmosphere of Venus was examined as part of the Vega project .
