Runaway Canadian Science Balloon: MANTRA 1998

September 2, 1998 [day ten]

MANTRA balloon captured in flight by a Finnish journalist.
MANTRA balloon captured in flight by a Finnish journalist.

The balloon lands on the Aland Islands, Finland, in the Baltic Sea, in a famer’s field.

MANTRA landing site in Finland.
MANTRA landing site in Finland.
MANTRA landing location.
MANTRA landing location.

The journey had a 9000 km flight path. 

MANTRA flightpath. 
Source: Strong et al. 2015.
MANTRA flightpath. Source: Strong et al. 2005.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute recovered the payload and facilitated its return to Toronto, Canada. 

MANTRA landing site: Finnish farmland.
MANTRA landing site: Finnish farmland.

The equipment has many bullet holes in it!

Good job, CF-18 pilots!

MANTRA bullet holes.
MANTRA bullet holes.

Next: Post Flight Analysis

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