Demonstration Earth Radiation Budget Experiment

The simulation on this page shows a potential mission scenario for a Demonstration Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (DERBE). In this scenario, a balloon carries radiometry instruments. Launch occurs at Palestine, Texas, the existing NASA Scientific Balloon Facility, thereby minimizing launch costs.

A StratoSail(R) guides the balloon southward to 15 deg. North. Later, the trajectory moves to 20 deg. North. The objective is to fly over the DOE's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program's Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site in Oklahoma.

For this simulation, launch occurs on 30 June 2000. The flight lasts 92 days and achieves four passes at 35 km over the ARM site. Stratospheric winds are provided by UKMO assimilations.