Suggested Searches

Super Pressure Balloon

Weather postpones fourth super pressure balloon launch attempt

This image depicts the ASTHROS mission in flight in over Antarctica. The mission’s launch vehicle, an American football-stadium sized stratospheric balloon, and telescope payload fly in the stratosphere. Clouds and Antarctic land are visible below the mission, while the vast expanse of outer space stretches above the mission.

Mother Nature continues to flex her muscles and throw us some jabs down in New Zealand; NASA’s scheduled super pressure balloon (SPB) launch attempt for today, May 6 (May 7 in New Zealand) has been postponed again due to poor weather.

“The high pressure system that was looking like it would help keep low-level winds down has dissipated creating unacceptable conditions for launch,” said Janet Letchworth, NASA’s mission manager for the SPB campaign. “Tomorrow’s weather is unacceptable for launch due to strong forecast winds. We’ll continue to evaluate conditions to see if Sunday’s (May 8) weather (Monday, May 9, in New Zealand) could support a launch attempt.”