The Sunrise Mission

Abstract

The first science flight of the balloon-borne Sunrise telescope took place in June 2009 from ESRANGE (near Kiruna/Sweden) to Somerset Island in northern Canada. We describe the scientific aims and mission concept of the project and give an overview and a description of the various hardware components: the 1-m main telescope with its postfocus science instruments (the UV filter imager SuFI and the imaging vector magnetograph IMaX) and support instruments (image stabilizing and light distribution system ISLiD and correlating wavefront sensor CWS), the optomechanical support structure and the instrument mounting concept, the gondola structure and the power, pointing, and telemetry systems, and the general electronics architecture. We also explain the optimization of the structural and thermal design of the complete payload. The preparations for the science flight are described, including AIV and ground calibration of the instruments. The course of events during the science flight is outlined, up to the recovery activities. Finally, the in-flight performance of the instrumentation is discussed.

The Filter Imager SuFI and the Image Stabilization and Light Distribution System ISLiD of the Sunrise Balloon-Borne Observatory: Instrument Description

“…The science goals of Sunrise are described in Barthol et al (2010) and are not repeated here. Driven by these science goals, the Sunrise instruments are required to provide images of the magnetic structure and measurements of the magnetic field, the flow velocity, and thermodynamic properties of the plasma…”

“…For an overview on the Sunrise project, instruments, and mission we refer to Barthol et al (2010). In the present paper we describe one of the two science instruments, the Sunrise Filter Imager (SuFI) and the Image Stabilization and Light Distribution (ISLiD) system, which were designed as a single, integral unit.…”

The Design and Performance of the Gondola Pointing System for the Sunrise II Balloon-Borne Stratospheric Solar Observatory

“…Remarkably, two periods of good pointing exceeded 135 min. In comparison with the 2009°ight, as reported by Barthol et al (2010), the longest period with telescope pointing within AE46 00 of the target was 45 min.…”

“…The Sunrise Balloon-Borne Stratospheric Solar Observatory has been fully described by Barthol et al (2010). The Sunrise Pointing System (PS) was developed by the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) and served multiple purposes, including o®-pointing,°at¯elding and engineering data collection.…”

The Sun at high resolution: first results from the Sunrise mission

“…More details on the telescope, gondola and mission are given by Barthol et al (2010), while the CWS is described in detail by Berkefeld et al (2010).…”