BARREL 2Y Ephemeris: Balloon Coordinates for Radiation Belt Study

Four campaigns from 2013 to 2016 collected ephemeris data from over 50 stratospheric balloons launched from Antarctica and Sweden. The dataset includes geographic and magnetic coordinates recorded every 4 seconds, derived from onboard GPS and the IRBEM library. It was produced by NASA's BARREL mission to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the spatial and temporal variations of electron precipitation based on balloon latitude, longitude, and altitude.
• Correlating magnetic field variations with relativistic electron precipitation events based on derived magnetic coordinates.
• Mapping the spatial scale of precipitation at relativistic energies using the constellation of balloon positions.
• Studying the relationship between plasma waves and particle precipitation by combining ephemeris data with other instrument measurements.

Strengths

• Data points are recorded at a high temporal resolution of 4 seconds.
• Over 50 balloon flights were launched across four campaigns spanning multiple years.
• Coordinates are derived from two sources: direct GPS measurements and the established IRBEM library.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific Antarctic and Swedish launch sites.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Data collected from onboard GPS and magnetometers on stratospheric balloons.

Time Range

2013 to 2016

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:39:00.829836; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Balloon launches from Halley Bay, Antarctica; SANAE IV base, Antarctica; and Esrange Space Center, Kiruna, Sweden.