Sensor System for Super-Pressure Balloon Performance Modeling

Long-duration balloon flights are an exciting new area of scientific ballooning, enabled by the development of large super-pressure balloons. As these balloons represent a new form of balloon technology, it follows that there is much to be learned about how these balloons behave in flight. There is a need to collect data on the balloon platform itself in order to better characterize its in-flight behavior. A lightweight suite of sensors will be developed to quantify several variables affecting the balloon. The measurements will include gas temperature inside and outside of the balloon, balloon film strain and temperature, and the aging of the balloon film. Phase I will involve developing a gas temperature sensing approach, a film strain and aging sensing approach, and an alternate approach to film strain and temperature measurements. Taken as a group, the approaches to be investigated are seen as likely to offer promising solutions to those measurement challenges. They will be tested in the laboratory and in a balloon on the ground. The ultimate result of the project will be a sensor suite that allows super-pressure balloon behavior and flights to be accurately modeled.

Other agencies engaged in the flight of large scientific balloons (e.g., NSF) will be able to make use of the sensor suite. Companies and agencies developing new types of scientific balloons will also be able to apply this sensor suite to their development efforts.

NASA will be able to use the sensor suite to quantify variables affecting the flight behavior of super-pressure balloons which are just beginning to be flown for scientific research. This data will allow NASA to more accurately model the behavior of these balloons in flight. Balloon missions sent to other planets and moons (e.g., Titan) could also benefit from this technology.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.