“Project Ghost” Ready To Begin

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31000, 4 March 1966, Page 14

“Project Ghost” Ready To Begin

Any morning now the first of 100 weather balloons to be released at Christchurch airport every day for the next six months will soar aloft on a free flight which will take it around the world in from 15 days to eight weeks, depending on the altitude it attains.

The launching will signify the beginning of “Project Ghost”—a pilot programme which, if successful, could revolutionise weather forecasting.

Originally, the American meteorologist directing the project (Mr V. E. Lally) hoped to get the experiment under way last November. This had to be delayed until diplomatic clearances were obtained from all the countries in the Southern Hemisphere over which the balloons will float.

Mr Lally said last evening

that legally a balloon was considered to be an unmanned aircraft. “In which case,” he said, “its flight over some countries might be misconstrued as being an unfriendly act. So we had to get permission and now we have it. The first balloon should have been launched this morning at dawn—but it rained.” French Tests Another problem which held things up for a time was the forthcoming French nuclear test in the Pacific. “There was some confusion with respect to our flights and their test plans,” he said. Once released, the balloons will go around the world many times following the wind streams. Those in the higher altitudes (80,000 ft should only take 15 days, while the balloons in the lower altitudes (20,000 ft might take anything between four and eight weeks,” he said.

Each of the balloons —between 5 and 10ft in diameter —carry a small radio transmitter powered by solar cells. The signals will pass on latitude and longitude and show where they are. “The balloons will be tracked by eight stations in the Southern Hemisphere. By 1970 these will be replaced by a satellite, but at present there are lots of electronic and communication problems to solve first,” Mr Lally said. The cost of launching of the 100 balloons would be more than £20,000 for the materials alone. This cost and that of the advanced stages of the project are being met by the governments of the United States and New Zealand.