Stratospheric Balloons, 1st ed. 2021 Science and Commerce at the Edge of Space Space Exploration Series

Stratospheric balloons are powerful tools used to study the Earth and its atmosphere, as well as the greater cosmos beyond. This book describes the science and technology behind modern stratospheric ballooning, along with the surprising ways it has impacted our daily lives.

The book takes you through every step of the process, starting with an in-depth introduction to basic balloon types and their uses before delving into balloon construction and mission planning. Along the way, you will learn about the novel technologies that have radically changed these balloons and their ability to launch, control and navigate them over specific ground targets. Next follows an exploration of their incredible applications, including research in atmospheric science, cosmology and astronomy, earth studies, meteorology, and aerobiology, and also commercial capabilities such as Internet networks and high-altitude tourism.

The community of scientists,engineers, and entrepreneurs involved in stratospheric ballooning is only ever growing. This book shows you how these national and international efforts have truly soared in recent years, and it will be an enjoyable read for anybody interested in learning more about how science and commerce are conducted in the stratosphere, at the edge of space.

Manfred “Dutch” von Ehrenfried worked in the spaceflight, aviation and nuclear fields for about 25 years. He was a member of the original NASA Space Task Group for Project Mercury and was a NASA Flight Controller in the Mission Control Center for many Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Missions. He  also worked on some of the Apollo Lunar Experiment Packages. He also worked in the NASA Headquarters Space Station Task Force and the Program Office as a contractor for about 10 years 

As the sensor operator on the NASA High Altitude Aircraft, he worked with scientists to determine how best to obtain the data they wanted from their instruments and develop a flight plan to achieve their objectives. In conjunction with this work, he was an Apollo Pressure Suit test subject which included tests in the Zero G aircraft, centrifuge, and vacuum chamber. As part of this work, he was the NASA MSC Chief of Science Requirements and Operations Branch.