
FIRMOS-Balloon on its way to Sweden
FIRMOS-B is a Fourier transform spectrometer measuring the radiance emitted by the planet in the spectral band from 100 to 1000 cm−1 (10–100 µm in wavelength) developed at CNR-INO, with ESA and ASI funding, to support the FORUM satellite mission.
The instrument is now on its way to the Esrange space center in Kiruna, north of Sweden, where it will embark on one of the three stratospheric balloons CNES will launch in the TRANSAT 2024 campaign.


FIRMOS-B box ready to leave CNR-INO lab in Florence Research Area.
FIRMOS-B will fly aboard ATMOSFER a 150 000 cubic meter balloon with a CARMENCITA gondola of 553 kg, carrying twelve scientific experiments.


Launch of the HEMERA3 flight at the Timmins Stratospheric Balloon Base (Ontario, Canada) in August 2022.
The spectral measurements taken by the instrument will be used to infer the atmospheric state and cloud properties. FIRMOS-B is expected to test the potential of a FORUM-like instrument to improve the scientific understanding of cirrus cloud properties and of water vapour concentration in the upper troposphere – lower stratosphere region.
Once the campaign team arrives at the space center, FIRMOS-B will be prepared for the flight and mounted on the gondola; the launch is planned for the second half of June.