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Untangling lines of a parachute carrying a “payload” of scientific equipment from a cedar tree near Ranger Thursday are Vincent Blanton, left, and Marvin Riley. Theparachute safely escorted its “payload” to earth near Ranger after it was dropped by a parachute. (Staff Photo by Don Blakley)Weather Balloon Drapes Power LinesContinued from Pg. 1A.did but the balloon didn’t.The balloon, which is 358 feet in diameter when inflated, caused only minor damage to the power lines and eventually was dragged off to the dump ground. But recovering the “payload” wasn’t quite as simple.It chose to land in some rugged ranch land north of Ranger that was easier to get to by balloon than by vehicle.Involved in the rescue operation were Riley and Vincent Blanton, both of the National Scientific Balloon Facility at Palestine; and Tom Doebbler and Charles Laird, both of Lockheed Electronics Co. of Houston.The “payload” and huge orange and white parachute that brought it gently to earth were found resting on some cedar trees in the bottom of a steep ravine.If anyone had unknowingly stumbled upon the 1,400 pound “payload,” he would have thought twice before telling anyone about itThe only way to describe it is that it looked like a strange vehicl^ from outerspace, a UFO at least. The white circular framework looked just the perfect size for carrying a couple of green men. And the instruments encased in the framework seemed like ideal little gadgets to keep green men occupied.But after the “payload” was explainedit all seemed quite earthly.The entire project is a joint venture of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands.According to Doebbler, the U.S. furnished the “hardware” or framework, balloon and parachute and the University of Utrecht furnished the 16-inch telescope and otner equipment in the $800,000 “payload.”The payload” is used to study different classes of stars, Doebbler said. The equipment analyses the light emitted from the stars and from the data gathered scientists can learn much about the makeup of the star, Doebbler said.The scientists can determine, for example, how old the star is and how it is developing. Doebbler said the project is part of continuing research and that the dataV;obtained will not be used to solve a particular problem.Before the “payload” came to earth near Ranger it had gathered information on 18 to 20 stars.All the time that Doebbler and Lairdwere disassembling the “payload” to load it onto pickups for removal from the ravine, Riley and Blanton were packing up their parachute and equipment.Attached to the parachute was a box containing equipment to terminate the balloon’s flight and several cans of vega-table juice. Strange as it may seem the cans of juice served a very scientific purpose.The balloon reaches heights of 130,000 feet in its flight and on the way up it gets very cold. In fact, Laird said that at an altitude of between 50,000 and 70,000 feet, thetemperature drops to minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit.The cans of juice freeze and then later, when the temperature gets hot again, the frozen cans keep the instruments cool.Even though the balloon didn’t come down exactly where it was supposed to, everyone seemed to agree that the project had been a “complete success.”
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