A novel sensor that simulates the measurements that would be taken by one of the proposed satellites vying to be ESA’s eleventh Earth Explorer, has endured an extraordinary journey. Carried aboard a high-altitude balloon on a four-day voyage from Sweden to Canada, the sensor provides new data that could help refine the CAIRT mission concept – a mission that aims to unravel the complexities of Earth's atmosphere and enhance our understanding of climate dynamics.

The video shows the launch of the balloon by the CNES French Space Agency team at Sweden’s Esrange Space Center in Kiruna. It climbed to an altitude of 40 km and flew across the Atlantic Ocean, passing over Greenland. After four days it landed on Canada’s Baffin Island.

Read full story: High-altitude balloon ride offers new perspective for CAIRT