20
BAMOS
Sep 2019
Article
Reaching for space—balloons and
rockets led the way
Richard Whitaker
Email: weathersmart@optusnet.com.au
Introduction
From the mid 1930s, there was an explosion of technology that
helped propel meteorology forward at an accelerating rate. The
meteorological demands of the Second World War provided a
significant impetus to this process.
In particular there was a push to investigate the nature of the
stratosphere, that enigmatic layer of air that begins around
10–12 km above the ground where temperatures remain fairly
constant with increasing height. Since its discovery back in 1902
it held a fascination for meteorologists that demanded further
investigation.
In addition there was growing curiosity regarding the
appearance of our planet from very high altitude. The advent
and continued improvement of the aeroplane gave hints of
intriguing cloud patterns whose secrets could only be unlocked
by photography from very high altitudes, well above the levels
that aircraft could fly.
For centuries professional astronomers and interested amateurs
had gazed through telescopes at the Moon and nearby planets,
observing such fascinations as the thousands of lunar craters,
the red spot on Jupiter and the intriguing rings around Saturn.
But the “big picture” appearance of our own planet from
space was largely unknown and the subject of a great deal of
speculation.
These issues, ultimately of great use to weather prediction,
would be investigated as never before from the 1930s onwards.
The Explorer Balloon Flights of 1934–35
In a landmark partnership struck in 1934, the US‑based National
Geographic Society teamed up with the US Army Air Corps to
construct a manned high altitude balloon that carried aloft an
airtight spherical capsule with a crew of three. It was designed
to reach an altitude of 24 km (15 miles), carrying meteorological
instruments and cameras to record high altitude views of the
Earth far below.
It was launched from South Dakota on 28 July 1934, and came
close to complete disaster with the first launch. The fabric of the
hydrogen‑filled balloon tore after reaching an altitude of 18,475
m (11.5 miles) and the crew capsule went into free fall. The
three crewmen were able to bail out by parachute just before it
slammed into the ground at high speed.
The Explorer II gondola at the landing site.
Source: US National Archives and
Records Administration