Project Title

AESOP-lite: Anti-Electron Sub-Orbital Payload – Low Energy

Summary

Event Number:
A-148-M/S
NSF / NASA Agreement

Program Director:
Dr. Vladimir Papitashvili

ASC POC/Implementer:
John Rand / Kaija Webster / Chad Naughton

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. John M Clem
jmc@udel.edu
University of Delaware
Physics and Astronomy
Newark, Delaware

Project Web Site:
https://sites.udel.edu/aesoplite/

Location

Supporting Stations: McMurdo Station, South Pole Station
Research Locations: South Pole Station, McMurdo Station, Long Duration Balloon Facility

Description

The AESOP-Lite scientific balloon payload competed a successful flight in the 2023-24 season and landed 611 miles grid east of the South Pole Station. Due to the late-season flight and termination combined with the complicated logistics of recovery from AESOP-Lite's remote landing site, payload recovery was deferred to a subsequent season. This season's AESOP-Lite recovery operations are subcontracted through Arctic Truck without the onsite assistance of A-148-M, the NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF), or Antarctic Support Contract (ASC) personnel.

Field Season Overview

The fully integrated payload will be recovered from the field and transported by Arctic Trucks to the South Pole Station. South Pole Station ASC staff will prepare and palletize the instrument for shipment by LC-130 aircraft to McMurdo Station. ASC and CSBF team members will disassemble and pack the payload at McMurdo Station for shipment back to the United States.