TopHat Scientific History
An evolutionary product of 30 years of studying the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
- The CMBR is an artifact from the earliest time we know how to directly observe in the Universe.
- Balloons made significant strides in the 70’s and 80’s, culminating in the COBE discoveries.
- After COBE, ballooning has again enabled the next level of precision, soon to be addressed in more detail with the MAP and PLANCK space missions.
Balloon platforms have carried out observations from the radio (1 cm wavelength) to the far-infrared (0.01 cm).
- Need to get above atmospheric absorption.
- Fast turnaround allows using more advanced (and riskier) technology than space missions.