BARREL 1
Full Name: Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses
Phase: Development
Launch Date: 2012
Mission Project Home Page: http://rbsp.larc.nasa.gov/GRMOO.html
Program(s): Living With a Star
BARREL is a balloon-based Mission of Opportunity to augment the measurements of NASA's RBSP spacecraft. BARREL seeks to measure the precipitation of relativistic electrons from the radiation belts during 2 multi-balloon campaigns, operated in the southern hemispheres (option for 3rd northern hemisphere campaign). During each campaign, 5-8 long-duration balloons would be aloft simultaneously over a one-month period to provide measurements of the spatial extent of the relativistic electron precipitation and to allow an estimate of the total electron loss from the radiation belts. Observations are planned for when the balloon-array will be conjugate with the RBSP spacecraft, such that direct comparison is possible between one another.