Philipp Maier
University of Stuttgart
Balloon-borne opportunities for FIR observations
With the availability of long flight durations of several weeks to months and increased reliability, balloon-borne astronomical platforms have become increasingly popular again in Europe and worldwide over the last 10 to 15 years. The continuously costly access to space for larger payloads combined with the needs for larger telescopes and specialised, up-to-date instruments makes the comparatively flexible and effort-efficient balloon platforms attractive options to complement other observational capabilities. This talk will present details on the observational and operational environment of astronomical stratospheric balloons missions, mention some recent highlights, and illustrate opportunities for FIR observations.
