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Code 820: Balloon Projects Office

Sweden Replicate Test Conclusions

  • ~27m scaled balloon was a good test bed.
  • The S-cleft is not dependent on friction.
  • Indications on the source of the "S" cleft.
  • Launch spool configuration (twisting) and launch dynamics are not the root cause of clefting.
  • The folding of the balloon, which is different from a zero pressure balloon, is not the cause of this problem.
  • The Pac-Man ascent shape is not the cause of clefting.
  • These have nothing to do with whether a cleft will form or not. Undoubtedly these play a role in determining where the cleft will form.
  • It is the design that determines the balloon's susceptibility to S-cleft buckling.
  • Test Results
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