EUSO-SPB1: An overview

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon (EUSO- SPB1) is the latest and most advance effort of the Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO) collaboration in preparation to measure extreme energetic cosmic rays from space. It was launched as a mission of opportunity on April 24th 23:51 UTC 2017 from Wanaka, New Zealand on a NASA super pressure balloon test flight with a planned flight time of up to 100days circling the southern hemisphere. The design of EUSO-SPB1 was driven by the idea to measure for the first time cosmic rays via fluorescence light looking down onto the atmosphere from the near space altitude of 33 km. The flight had to be terminated prematurely after 12days and 4 hours over the Pacific ocean, around 300 km SE of Easter Island. We will present an overview of the goals, the instrument and the flight of the EUSO-SPB1 experiment. We will finish with a preliminary summary of the obtained data. Preparations for a EUSO-SPB2 mission are underway.