Open Stratospheric Balloons are popular at CNES, and for the first time, one of these ballons has crossed the Atlantic between Sweden and Canada.
On June 26, 2024, after 3 days and 17 hours of flight, one balloon from the Transat mission reached its destination with the CERBUS mission on board, a scientific experiment orchestrated by CNES and developed by Intraspec.
This mission allowed molecules from space contaminants, deposited on specific substrates, to be exposed to solar flux throughout the flight. Following the recovery of the experiment, the study of these samples should enable the evaluation of the impact of radiation, especially UV, on these molecules and provide a better understanding of the physico-chemical evolution of these contaminants.
