10 Meter sub-orbital large balloon reflector (LBR)

Abstract

Use the ground state Water line at 557 GHz to probe the formation of planetary systems. Goal 2: External Galaxies:Use the ground state Water line at 557 GHz to probe the chemistry and physical conditions in Normal, Starburst, & High z galaxies. Goal 3: Cosmic Evolution:Use the LiH line at 444 GHz to determine the lithium abundance along multiple lines of sight through the Galaxy.The Large Balloon Reflector (LBR) is a gamechanging concept to use the aluminized halfhemisphere of a balloon to form a 10 meter stratospheric observatory. The spherical balloon reflector is deployed within a larger carrier balloon that serves both as a launch vehicle and radome. Such a telescope could study the origins of stars, planets, molecular clouds, and galaxies; providing a much needed means of following-up on tantalizing results from recent successful missions such as Spitzer, Herschel, and SOFIA. LBR will perform high spectral/spatial resolution observations in astrophysically important atomic and molecular spectral lines only accessible from near space or from orbit. The proposed effort directly addresses NASA's Strategic Goals 2, 3, 5, and 6. Data Products:Spectroscopic data base of water and LiH lines toward a variety of galactic and extragalactic objects.

POEMMA: Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics

“…This reduces instrument mass and the complexity of the instrument and fits inside the anticipated launch fairing but at the cost of vignetting. One technology that could be employed to provide a larger lighter mirror that can fit in the launch vehicle and easily deploy is an inflatable membrane mirror [202][203][204][205][206][207][208][209].…”

Novel Growing Robot With Inflatable Structure and Heat-Welding Rotation Mechanism

“…For example, inflatable rubber dams and silt fences are often used for water control [23], [24]. Inflatable structures can be used for temporary constructions such as tents and antennas [25], [26]; furthermore, they can be used to construct large structures given their light weight [27]. Large-scale robots have been constructed using inflatable structures [28], [29].…”