Second attempt to be made to launch high altitude balloon from Timmins, Ont.

LONGUEUIL, Que. – A second attempt was to be made Wednesday evening to launch the first stratospheric balloon in Canada under a joint Canadian-French program.

A launch planned for Monday night had to be scrubbed due to unfavourable weather.

The Canadian Space Agency says that following the latest weather briefing, the go-ahead was given for launch at 8:35 p.m. EDT Wednesday night.

Once launched, the balloon will ascend to between 25 and 32 kilometres, fly for about four to ten hours, and should land in a 500 kilometre radius area from the launch site.

If the wind blows east, it could land in Quebec close to Rouyn-Noranda, Amos or Val d’Or. If it blows west, it could land close to the Ontario communities of Wawa, Kapuskasing, Chapleau or Sudbury.

The balloons is designed to give Canadian scientists a new platform to advance space science for up to 40 times less than the cost of a satellite or a launcher.

Stratospheric balloons can operate up to 45 kilometres in altitude, which is too low for satellites, too high for aircraft and cleared too quickly by rockets.

The Stratos Balloon Program is a joint effort of the CSA and the French space agency, the Centre national d’etudes spatiales.