Skyhook balloon

In the late 1940s, Project Skyhook was conceived of as a means by which plastic balloons could be used to transmit or send instruments into the stratosphere to conduct research.

In some models the balloons could reach diameters of more than 30 m.[4] In the succeeding 10 years, over 1,500 Skyhook flights were made for investigations supported by the ONR and for European scientists.

These flights were made from locations in the United States, Canada, and naval vessels in the Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean, and Arctic waters.

Both Winzen Research and General Mills participated in these launchings, and in later years, the Atomic Energy Commission joined ONR in support of Project Skyhook.

During the solar eclipse on that date two Skyhook balloons were launched by Winzen Research with camera gondolas employing simple orientating systems.

In 1957 the US Navy began an operational aerology system known as Transosonde (trans-ocean sounding), consisting of almost daily balloon flights across the Pacific Ocean from Japan.

Instruments included a 12-inch (30-centimeter) telescope with a special light-sensitive pointing system and a closed-circuit television camera that was guided by the scientists on the ground.

Thirteen stratospheric plastic Skyhook balloons were launched in September 1953 as part of Project Churchy,[10] an Office of Naval Research funded cosmic ray expedition at the geomagnetic equator.