151:
259:. Project Churchy was conducted at the Galápagos because high-energy cosmic-ray particles can only be collected at the geomagnetic equator without accompanying low-energy particles found at higher latitudes. Balloons carrying scientific instruments rose to between 90,000 feet (27,000 m) and 105,000 feet (32,000 m) and encountered temperatures as low as -80 °C (-112 °F). Aircraft from
27:
181:
One of the first known attempts to carry out an astrophysical measurement from a plastic balloon occurred under the
Skyhook program on June 30, 1954. During the solar eclipse on that date two Skyhook balloons were launched by Winzen Research with camera gondolas employing simple orientating systems.
87:
Balloons, long used for collecting meteorological data, now offered the opportunity of collecting highly specialized information and photographs. The first
Skyhook balloon was launched on September 25, 1947. The balloon was developed by the Aeronautical Division of General Mills. It carried a 63
197:
of
Northfield, MN) to set an unofficial balloon altitude record of 145,000 feet (44,000 m) for unmanned balloons. In 1957 the US Navy began an operational aerology system known as Transosonde (trans-ocean sounding), consisting of almost daily balloon flights across the Pacific Ocean from
166:
Among significant flights, Project
Skyhook launched the first successful three-balloon cluster in 1948. Then in 1949 the first shipboard Skyhook launch took place. It was followed by nearly 300 shipboard launchings over the next 10 years.
100:) in the balloons formed a small bubble at the top of the envelope, resulting in the balloon having a "limp" look. At the lower air pressure at higher altitudes, the gas expanded and eventually filled the whole envelope forming a
414:
Technical
Information Office, ONR (May 1958). "The Stratolab program of the Office of Naval Research (p3, Background Information on the Upper Atmosphere Research Program)". Press Release, Office of Naval Research, Washington,
250:
also include high energy atomic nuclei that are stripped of their electrons. Thirteen stratospheric plastic
Skyhook balloons were launched in September 1953 as part of Project Churchy, an Office of Naval Research funded
263:
took off an hour after the launch of each balloon and visually tracked the balloon until it released its cargo and deflated. The instruments were observed until splashdown, and marked for destroyers to retrieve.
230:. These were the sharpest photographs taken of the Sun up to that time. The photographs increased scientists' understanding of the motions observed in the strong magnetic fields of the sunspots.
182:
The objective was to photograph the eclipse from high altitude. Varied photographic equipment was carried and aimed at the Sun to obtain full coverage for the total period of totality.
111:
In the succeeding 10 years, over 1,500 Skyhook flights were made for investigations supported by the ONR and for
European scientists. These flights were made from locations in the
641:
437:, Office of Naval Research. Plastic Balloons for Planetary Research. Presented at the Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Astronomical Society. January 31, 1958
260:
358:
150:
530:
606:- Historical recopilation project on the use of stratospheric balloons in the scientific research, the military field and the aerospace activity
553:
72:
In the late 1940s, Project
Skyhook was conceived of as a means by which plastic balloons could be used to transmit or send instruments into the
144:
462:
226:
that was guided by the scientists on the ground. This was the first balloon-borne telescope. The telescope took more than 400 photographs of
20:
425:
Suomi, V. E and Beson, E. E. Astronomical
Observations from a Skyhook Balloon. Winzen Research, Inc. Technical report #1150-R, February 1955
278:
Skyhook balloons may have been the origin of some UFO observations. The most famous case possibly involving a
Skyhook mis-sighting was the
223:
506:
631:
545:
Freier, P., Lofgren, E. J., Ney, E. P. and Oppenheimer, H. L. 1948. Evidence for heavy nuclei in the primary cosmic radiation.
386:
284:
594:
434:
389:, General Mills, Inc, Mechanical Division, Engineering Research & Development Department, September 4, 1953.
60:
research, especially for constant-level meteorological observations at very high altitudes. Instruments like the
155:
53:
366:
186:
636:
38:
493:
57:
612:
398:
572:
302:
279:
447:
Rogerson, John B. Jr. (January 1958). "Project Stratoscope -- Solar Photographs from 80,000 Feet".
470:
322:
194:
61:
50:
312:
92:
to over 100,000 feet (30,000 m). At low level immediately after launch, the lifting gas (
76:
to conduct research. This project carried forward work from an earlier project, Helios, that
560:
307:
89:
616:
175:
136:
170:
The first manned plastic balloon flight under ONR contract took place in 1949. Project
120:
42:
625:
510:
488:
317:
273:
140:
128:
124:
112:
77:
46:
531:
The First Air Force Pilot to Die Chasing a UFO Was Actually Chasing a Secret Balloon
132:
81:
73:
486:
gave permission to use the name Churchy, the turtle character of his comic strip
297:
211:
342:
Ross, Malcolm D (January 1959). "Basic Research at Record Breaking Altitudes".
26:
483:
252:
247:
219:
243:
227:
214:
telescope. Project Stratoscope I was a program developed to research the
93:
84:
initiated to use arrays of giant plastic balloons to carry humans aloft.
600:- The cold war's classified Skyhook program, a participant's revelations
256:
171:
108:. In some models the balloons could reach diameters of more than 30 m.
603:
239:
116:
101:
97:
199:
190:
149:
105:
25:
210:
On August 19, 1957, an unmanned Skyhook balloon lifted the first
238:
In 1948, Skyhook balloons were used to show that in addition to
215:
609:
178:
at about 70,000 feet (21,000 m) above arctic waters.
174:, in 1952, featured a Skyhook balloon that released small
143:
participated in these launchings, and in later years, the
561:"High Altitude Balloon Research and Development Programs"
30:
A Skyhook balloon launched in 1957 to photograph the Sun
222:
with a special light-sensitive pointing system and a
218:. Instruments included a 12-inch (30-centimeter)
571:(8). U.S. Navy. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery:
409:
407:
19:For the Skyhook aerial retrieval system, see
8:
387:Final Report: Project 85012, Report No. 1227
559:Childs, Captain Donald R. (22 April 1960).
401:, EagleSpeak.us website, January 21, 2008.
147:joined ONR in support of Project Skyhook.
154:Skyhook balloon leaving the deck of the
334:
642:Military research of the United States
56:(ONR) in the late 1940s and 1950s for
565:United States Navy Medical Newsletter
359:"The "daddy" of the balloon industry"
274:Project Mogul § Roswell incident
64:were first used on Skyhook balloons.
21:Fulton surface-to-air recovery system
7:
552:United States Centennial of Flight.
288:(1956) mentions "Project Skyhook").
261:Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 ‘Pelicans’
14:
357:Goodsell, Suzy (August 4, 2011).
469:. 7 October 1957. Archived from
399:'Sunday Ship History: Skyhooked'
224:closed-circuit television camera
88:pounds (29 kg) payload of
463:"Science: Project Stratoscope"
255:expedition at the geomagnetic
1:
195:G. T. Schejeldahl Corporation
451:. Vol. 17. p. 112.
285:Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
119:, and naval vessels in the
16:Atmospheric research device
658:
363:General Mills blog website
346:. The Exchange Club: 3–13.
282:. (The script of the film
271:
193:balloon (developed by the
185:On September 7, 1956, the
18:
496:on the Galapagos Islands.
610:Office of Naval Research
145:Atomic Energy Commission
54:Office of Naval Research
49:. They were used by the
187:University of Minnesota
632:Balloons (aeronautics)
163:
39:high-altitude balloons
31:
153:
29:
303:Mantell UFO Incident
280:Mantell UFO incident
212:Project Stratoscope
206:Project Stratoscope
615:2021-05-03 at the
492:, as a nod to the
473:on March 26, 2010.
323:Project Strato-Lab
164:
162:on March 31, 1949.
62:Cherenkov detector
51:United States Navy
47:General Mills, Inc
32:
596:Skeptical Inquiry
507:"Project Churchy"
449:Sky and Telescope
313:Project Moby Dick
189:launched a giant
649:
584:
582:
580:
533:
528:
522:
521:
519:
518:
509:. Archived from
503:
497:
481:
475:
474:
459:
453:
452:
444:
438:
435:Ross, Malcolm D.
432:
426:
423:
417:
416:
411:
402:
396:
390:
384:
378:
377:
375:
374:
365:. Archived from
354:
348:
347:
339:
308:Project Genetrix
90:nuclear emulsion
35:Skyhook balloons
657:
656:
652:
651:
650:
648:
647:
646:
622:
621:
617:Wayback Machine
591:
578:
576:
558:
547:Physical Review
542:
537:
536:
529:
525:
516:
514:
505:
504:
500:
482:
478:
461:
460:
456:
446:
445:
441:
433:
429:
424:
420:
413:
412:
405:
397:
393:
385:
381:
372:
370:
356:
355:
351:
341:
340:
336:
331:
294:
276:
270:
236:
234:Project Churchy
208:
137:Winzen Research
70:
68:Project Skyhook
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
655:
653:
645:
644:
639:
634:
624:
623:
620:
619:
607:
601:
590:
589:External links
587:
586:
585:
556:
554:Otto C. Winzen
550:
541:
538:
535:
534:
523:
498:
476:
454:
439:
427:
418:
403:
391:
379:
349:
333:
332:
330:
327:
326:
325:
320:
315:
310:
305:
300:
293:
290:
269:
268:Skyhook as UFO
266:
235:
232:
207:
204:
176:Deacon rockets
69:
66:
43:Otto C. Winzen
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
654:
643:
640:
638:
637:General Mills
635:
633:
630:
629:
627:
618:
614:
611:
608:
605:
602:
599:
597:
593:
592:
588:
574:
570:
566:
562:
557:
555:
551:
548:
544:
543:
539:
532:
527:
524:
513:on 2008-09-08
512:
508:
502:
499:
495:
491:
490:
485:
480:
477:
472:
468:
464:
458:
455:
450:
443:
440:
436:
431:
428:
422:
419:
410:
408:
404:
400:
395:
392:
388:
383:
380:
369:on 2015-09-11
368:
364:
360:
353:
350:
345:
338:
335:
328:
324:
321:
319:
318:Project Mogul
316:
314:
311:
309:
306:
304:
301:
299:
296:
295:
291:
289:
287:
286:
281:
275:
267:
265:
262:
258:
254:
249:
245:
241:
233:
231:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
205:
203:
201:
196:
192:
188:
183:
179:
177:
173:
168:
161:
159:
152:
148:
146:
142:
141:General Mills
138:
135:waters. Both
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
114:
113:United States
109:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
85:
83:
79:
78:General Mills
75:
67:
65:
63:
59:
55:
52:
48:
44:
41:developed by
40:
36:
28:
22:
595:
577:. Retrieved
568:
564:
546:
540:Bibliography
526:
515:. Retrieved
511:the original
501:
487:
479:
471:the original
466:
457:
448:
442:
430:
421:
394:
382:
371:. Retrieved
367:the original
362:
352:
343:
337:
283:
277:
237:
209:
184:
180:
169:
165:
158:Norton Sound
157:
110:
86:
82:Jean Piccard
74:stratosphere
71:
34:
33:
298:Gas balloon
248:cosmic rays
58:atmospheric
626:Categories
517:2009-12-23
484:Walt Kelly
373:2015-03-15
344:Exchangite
272:See also:
253:cosmic ray
604:StratoCat
549:74:213-17
244:electrons
220:telescope
129:Caribbean
613:Archived
292:See also
228:sunspots
121:Atlantic
94:hydrogen
598:article
579:19 June
494:turtles
257:equator
240:protons
172:Rockoon
160:(AVM-1)
125:Pacific
133:Arctic
131:, and
117:Canada
102:sphere
98:helium
329:Notes
200:Japan
191:Mylar
106:ovoid
37:were
581:2015
489:Pogo
467:Time
242:and
156:USS
139:and
80:and
45:and
575:–35
415:DC.
216:Sun
104:or
96:or
628::
573:28
569:35
567:.
563:.
465:.
406:^
361:.
246:,
202:.
127:,
123:,
115:,
583:.
520:.
376:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
