Generali Arctic Observer (GAO) Campaign objectives

CNES and CEA/LETI participated to Jean-Louis Etienne's "Générali Arctic Observer" expedition, consisting in flying a ballon equiped with several scientific experiments supplied by CNES, CEA/LETI and CEA/CNRS over the North Pole. The ballon carried an engineering model of the absolute scalar magnetometer (ASM) developed for the SWARM satellite mission to realise absolute measurements of the Earth's magnetic field intensity during the flight over the North Pole. The flight took place in April 2010. Read below the log book of the CNES and CEA/LETI team that participated to the expedition.

For more information: http://www.jeanlouisetienne.com/generali_arctic_observer/ (in French)

You can find the complete story of this adventure in Jean-Louis Etienne last book, "La traversée du pôle Nord en ballon" published by Chêne in November 2010. Selected extract from page 43 (in French).

SWARM in Spitzberg: Isabelle Fratter's log book

	27/04/2010	The hardware is back, it's time to assess the measurements
	14/04/2010	Return of Jean-Louis Etienne to Paris
	11/04/2010	Jean-Louis Etienne is met up by his team and will get back to France soon
	10/04/2010	Landing of Jean-Louis Etienne in Siberia
	09/04/2010	Jean-Louis Etienne fly over Siberia
	08/04/2010	Jean-Louis Etienne flying towards Siberia
	07/04/2010	Autographes signing with Zidane and fly over Spitzberg in montgolfier
	06/04/2010	Rest
	05/04/2010	J0 : Green meteo for the balloon departure
	04/04/2010	Last tests and transport of the nacelle towards the launch site
	03/04/2010	Adjustments and tests of the magnetometer
	02/04/2010	Photo shot with Jean-Louis Etienne, instrument integration in the nacelle and test of the interfaces with the nacelle
	01/04/2010	Unpacking the equipment and verification of the instrument's good health
	31/03/2010	Departure of SWARM team for Spitzberg, the hardware has already been sent a few days ago
	11/03/2010	In flight test of the magnetometer at Carroz-d'Arâches
	09/03/2010	CEA/LETI simulates the deployment of the probe from a platform
	08/02/2010	Preparation of the magnetometer accommodation at Montdidier (Somme)