BARREL 4F Data Processing Unit (HKPG) Analog Housekeeping Voltage, Temperature, Current, a

Over 50 stratospheric balloons were launched across four campaigns from 2013 to 2016. The BARREL Mission, a NASA Living with a Star investigation, collected housekeeping voltage, temperature, current, and payload status values every 40 seconds to study electron precipitation from Earth's radiation belts. Balloons were launched from Antarctic stations and Sweden's Esrange Space Center, flying at altitudes around 30 km.

Use Cases

• Monitor instrument health and environmental conditions based on housekeeping voltage and temperature data.
• Study temporal variations in the magnetosphere based on payload status and current measurements synchronized with balloon campaigns.
• Correlate balloon observations with satellite data like the Van Allen Probes based on the mission's design for coordinated measurements.
• Analyze spatial scales of electron precipitation based on data from a slowly moving array of balloons.

Strengths

• Data collected from over 50 balloon flights across four campaigns, providing multiple observational periods.
• Time-series data recorded at a consistent 40-second interval.
• Mission was designed to coordinate with comprehensive in-situ measurements from the Van Allen Probes.

Limitations

• Analog sensor data is based on a nominal layout; some payload differences may not be reflected, requiring clarification from the BARREL team.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by instrumentation on small stratospheric balloons carrying X-ray spectrometers and DC magnetometers.

Time Range

Campaigns conducted in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 11:31:43.347642; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Launches from Halley Bay and SANAE IV base in Antarctica, and Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden; observations at stratospheric altitudes (~30 km) near polar circles.