Journal article
The Extreme Universe Observatory on a super-pressure balloon II: Mission, payload, and flight
Astroparticle physics, Vol.182, 103263
10/2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2026.103263
Abstract
The Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon 2 (EUSO-SPB2) is a pathfinder mission toward a space-based observatory such as the Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA). The aim of POEMMA is the observation of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) in order to elucidate their nature and origins and to discover ≳ 20 PeV very high energy neutrinos that originate from transient and steady astrophysical sources. EUSO-SPB2 was launched from Wānaka New Zealand on May 13th, 2023 as a NASA Balloon Program Office test flight. The mission goals included making the first near-space altitude observations of the fluorescence emission from UHECR-induced extensive air showers (EASs) and making the first direct Cherenkov light emission from PeV cosmic rays traversing Earth’s atmosphere. In addition, a Target of Opportunity program was developed for selecting and scheduling observations of potential neutrino sources as they passed just below the Earth’s limb. Although a leaky balloon forced termination over the Pacific Ocean after 37 h, data was collected to demonstrate the successful commissioning and operation of the instruments. This paper includes a description of the payload and the key instruments, pre-flight instrument characterizations in the lab and in the desert, flight operations and examples of the data collected. The flight was too short to catch a UHECR event via fluorescence, however about 10 candidate EAS events from cosmic rays were recorded via Cherenkov light.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The Extreme Universe Observatory on a super-pressure balloon II: Mission, payload, and flight
- Creators
- J. H. Adams Jr - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleD. Allard - Université Paris CitéP. Alldredge - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleL. Anchordoqui - Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY), NY, USAA. Anzalone - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di CataniaM. Bagheri - Georgia Institute of TechnologyM. Battisti - Université Paris CitéR. Bellotti - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di BariA.A. Belov - Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityM. Bertaina - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di TorinoP.F. Bertone - Marshall Space Flight CenterS. Blin-Bondil - Laboratoire AstroParticule et CosmologieJ. Bogdan - Georgia Institute of TechnologyJ. Burton - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleF. Cafagna - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di BariR. Caruso - Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Ettore Majorana”, Università di Catania, ItalyM. Casolino - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma IK. Černý - Palacký University OlomoucM.J. Christl - Marshall Space Flight CenterR. Colalillo - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliH.J. Crawford - University of California, BerkeleyA. Creusot - Laboratoire AstroParticule et CosmologieA. Cummings - Pennsylvania State UniversityJ. Desiato - Colorado School of MinesR. Diesing - University of ChicagoA. Di Nola - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliT. Ebisuzaki - RIKENJ. Eser - University of ChicagoF. Fenu - ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana), ItalyS. Ferrarese - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di TorinoG. Filippatos - University of ChicagoW.W. Finch - Colorado School of MinesF. Flaminio - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliS Flannery - University of ChicagoC. Fornaro - UniNettuno UniversityN. Friedlander - University of ChicagoD. Fuehne - Colorado School of MinesC. Fuglesang - KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyS. Gadamsetty - Georgia Institute of TechnologyD. Garg - University of Iowa, Physics and AstronomyE. Gazda - Georgia Institute of TechnologyA. Golzio - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di TorinoF. Guarino - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliC. Guépin - Laboratoire Univers et Particules de MontpellierT. Heibges - Colorado School of MinesE.G. Judd - University of California, BerkeleyL. Kupari - University of IowaP.A. Klimov - Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityJ.F. Krizmanic - Goddard Space Flight CenterV. Kungel - Colorado School of MinesE. Kuznetsov - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleM. Mignone - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di TorinoM. Manfrin - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di TorinoW. Marszał - National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, PolandJ.N. Matthews - University of UtahK. Mehling - University of ChicagoM. Mese - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliS.S. Meyer - University of ChicagoH. Miyamoto - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di TorinoA.S. Murashov - Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityJ.M. Nachtman - University of IowaA.V. Olinto - University of ChicagoY. Onel - University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USAG. Osteria - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliA.N. Otte - Georgia Institute of TechnologyB. Panico - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliE. Parizot - Université Paris CitéT. Paul - Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY), NY, USAM. Pech - Palacký University OlomoucF. Perfetto - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliL.W. Piotrowski - University of WarsawZ. Plebaniak - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma IJ. Posligua - University of IowaM. Potts - Georgia Institute of TechnologyG. Prévôt - Université Paris CitéM. Przybylak - University of ŁódźP. Reardon - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleM.H. Reno - University of IowaM. Ricci - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di FrascatiO.F. Romero Matamala - Georgia Institute of TechnologyF. Sarazin - Colorado School of MinesP. Schovánek - Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech RepublicV. Scotti - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliK. Shinozaki - National Centre for Nuclear Research, Warsaw, PolandJ.F. Soriano - Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY), NY, USAS Stephanoff - Georgia Institute of TechnologyP. Sternberg - Colorado School of MinesB.K. Stillwell - University of ChicagoJ. Szabelski - Stefan Batory Academy of Applied Sciences, Skierniewice, PolandY. Takizawa - RIKEND. Trofimov - Laboratoire AstroParticule et CosmologieF. Unel - KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyV. Vagelli - ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana), ItalyL. Valore - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di NapoliT.M. Venters - Goddard Space Flight CenterJ Watts Jr - University of Alabama in HuntsvilleL. Wiencke - Colorado School of MinesH. Wistrand - Colorado School of MinesR. Young - Marshall Space Flight Center
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Astroparticle physics, Vol.182, 103263
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2026.103263
- ISSN
- 0927-6505
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 05/2026
- Date published
- 10/2026
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9985166831602771
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