For most of us, the abbreviation ASAP means prestissimo, or quam celerrime, or to spell it out in the original, "as soon as possible". But at Valentia Observatory in Cahirciveen, Co Kerry, it signifies a way to fly balloons. Of course, they have been playing with balloons for many years down there, but ASAP lets them do it more conveniently, and as it happens also, much more quickly.
The balloons are filled with hydrogen and are used to carry radiosondes into the upper atmosphere. The radiosonde is a small box containing instruments that measure temperature, pressure and humidity, and also a transmitter.
As it floats upwards attached to the balloon, the frequency of its transmitted signal varies with the recorded characteristics of the atmosphere through which it passes, and when the radio signals are picked up at the observatory, they can be converted back again into "degrees" or "millibars".
Until recently, the launching of a radiosonde balloon was a very complex operation. The balloon, well over a metre in diameter, has the radiosonde attached to it by a cord; in high winds, it was necessary for one person to hold, and ultimately release, the balloon itself, while a second person would then run after the ensemble to ensure that the radiosonde did not bounce along the ground, and suffer damage, before it had gained sufficient height to clear all obstacles.
Now, ASAP stands for Automatic Shipboard Aerological Programme, which as the name implies is concerned with sending radiosondes aloft from merchant ships. Storms at sea are common, and so are storms in Co Kerry, so it has been found that ASAP equipment used on ocean-going ships is just ideal for Valentia.
In appearance, the ASAP equipment resembles a large dustbin, big enough to hold an inflated balloon, and which when not in use retracts to sit flush with its surrounding superstructure.
The balloon is automatically filled with hydrogen inside this container, and when the time is right a mere push of a button by the operator causes the tube to protrude upwards from its setting and point itself downwind, the lid to slide back, and a blast of compressed air to shoot the balloon and its accompanying radiosonde upon their way.
This forced ejection by compressed air, making the ensemble seem like an intercontinental ballistic missile surging from its silo, combined with the fact that the balloon is always launched downwind, virtually eliminates any risk of damage by collision with surrounding structures. In addition, since as its name implies the equipment is semi-automatic, only one person rather than two is required to carry out the operation.