1. Driftsonde System Overview

2. Apex fitting with inflation tube Balloon Envelope Vent Duct Base Fitting

3. INFLATION OF POLYETHYLENE BALLOON

4. Polyethylene balloon being readied for launch

5. Flight Train Load attachment lines Parachute Satellite antenna Balloon Cut down Shock absorber Sonde receiving antenna GPS antenna Gondola

6. STANDARD ATMOSPHERE PRESSURE VS ALTITUDE

7. STANDARD ATMOSPHERES - TEMPERATURE VS ALTITUDE POLAR TROPICAL STANDARD

8. Gondola Features Styrofoam electronics enclosure Black surface coating Selective transmission material (5 sides) Electronics package Sonde drop plate with resistor Dropsonde (24) Ballast dispenser Ethafoam sonde housing

11. TIME VS ALTITUDE AND BALLAST, 10% CUT

12. TIME VS ALTITUDE AND BALLAST, 0% CUT

13. Sonde

14. DROPSONDE FALL VELOCITY

15. DROPSONDE FALL TIME

16. Proposed Test Flight Program TestOverLocationDate Durati on Objectives 1land Tillamook, OR April 200148 hr Altitude control, gondola thermal control, power system capacity, satellite communications (recover package) 2land Tillamook, OR April 200148 hrSame as 1 3 ocea n Tillamook, OR late May 2001 48 hr Same as above plus test dropsonde dispenser and dropsondes (8 sondes, 4/day) 4 ocea n Tillamook, OR late May 2001 48 hrSame as 3 5 ocea n Tillamook, OR late May 2001 6 days Complete system check out with 24 sondes (4/day)

17. Blimp Hangar at Tillamook, OR

18. Initial Launch Time: 00 UTC 06 Feb 1999 13 launch sites Deployment Interval: 12hr Coverage at: 00UTC 11 Feb 1999 Simulated Driftsonde sounding coverage at one assimilation time after 5 days of deployment from launch sites along the Asian Pacific rim Drift Level: 100 mb