Bad news. The PoGOLite campaign for 2012 has been terminated. The stratospheric winds are no longer stable enough to support a flight from Esrange to Canada or even beyond. Needless-to-say, we are all extremely disappointed. After last year’s failed launch, we were counting on finally observing the Crab in polarised X-rays this year and taking the next step in our research programme.
Long duration balloon flights started from Esrange in 2005 and this is the first time that no balloons have been launched due poor weather conditions. Low pressure regions have been oscillating back-and-forth over Esrange all summer giving rise to the sort of unpredictable wind conditions which are simply not compatible with launching million cubic metre balloons. During July, there have been 12 attempts to launch the NASA balloon which was ahead of us in the queue (and which should have been launched late in June). Each time the wind conditions put a stop to the launch preparations. Like us, the NASA balloon is still on the ground.
It has already been decided that we will try again next year, so expect to hear more from me in the near future. In the meantime, the secrets of the Crab will have to wait another year...
-Mark
