Update April 30, 1 p.m. NZST: After running risk assessments for tomorrow's attempt, the team has decided to cancel the May 1 New Zealand (April 30 in the United States) launch attempt of the super pressure balloon. The next launch opportunity is Tuesday, May 2 (Monday, May 1 in the United States). Updates will be …
A NASA super pressure balloon carrying the SuperBIT scientific payload is preparing to make its second land crossing over South America. After 12 days in flight, the scientific balloon is on track to reach South America Friday, April 28, at approximately 2 p.m. EDT (Friday, April 28, at 6 p.m. UTC). The scientific balloon, which …
NASA's football-stadium-sized scientific super pressure balloon crossed the 169.24 east longitude line at about 11:32 p.m. EDT, April 25, officially completing its first mid-latitude circumnavigation after launch April 15 (U.S. Eastern time) from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand. NASA achieved the milestone just 10 days, 3 hours, and 50 minutes after launch. The balloon is …
A NASA super pressure balloon carrying the SuperBIT scientific payload has crossed the Pacific Ocean after just 5 days of flight and is on track to reach South America Thursday, April 20, at approximately 9:30 p.m. EDT (Friday, April 21, at 1:30 a.m. UTC). The scientific balloon, which lifted off from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand, …
The Super Pressure Balloon Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT) that launched on a scientific super pressure balloon April 16, 2023, local time from Wānaka, New Zealand, captured its first research images from this flight of the Tarantula Nebula and Antennae Galaxies. These images were captured on a balloon-borne telescope floating at 108,000 feet above Earth's surface, allowing …
NASA's Scientific Balloon Program successfully launched its football-stadium-sized, heavy-lift super pressure balloon (SPB) from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand, at 11:42 a.m., Sunday, April 16 (7:42 p.m.. April 15 in U.S. Eastern Time), on a mission planned for 100 or more days. Over the next couple hours, the balloon will begin to fully inflate as it …
WĀNAKA, New Zealand — NASA is targeting Sunday, April 16 (Saturday, April 15 in the United States), to conduct a super pressure balloon (SPB) test flight launching from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand, to further test and qualify the technology, which can offer cost savings compared to space missions. This first launch will also carry the …
The launch window is now open for NASA's 2023 New Zealand Super Pressure Balloon (SPB) launch campaign aimed to further test and qualify NASA's SPB technology, which can offer cost savings compared to space missions. Pictured here, technicians work on the SuperBIT payload and test out the different support and communications systems on the gondola …
