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 …
Technicians from NASA's Scientific Balloon Program recently performed weight test procedures of the Super Pressure Balloon Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT) payload in advance of planned super pressure balloon flight operations from Wanaka, New Zealand, in 2023. SuperBIT will use a wide field of view to image large galaxy clusters from a balloon platform in a near-space …
WANAKA, New Zealand—NASA aborted the sixth launch attempt of its super pressure balloon (SPB) from Wanaka, New Zealand, Friday, May 27 (Thursday, May 26 in the United States) due to a ground support equipment issue. Inflation operations began, but the brakes on a key piece of equipment that guides and feeds the balloon material during …
WANAKA, New Zealand—NASA postponed the scheduled launch of its super pressure balloon (SPB) from Wanaka, New Zealand, Thursday, May 26 (Wednesday, May 25 in the United States) due to unacceptable wind conditions. Surface and upper-level winds were over 10 knots, which is well over the limits required to safely conduct launch operations. "A high-pressure system …
WANAKA, New Zealand—NASA is targeting Thursday, May 26 (Wednesday, May 25 in the United States), to conduct a super pressure balloon (SPB) test flight launching from Wanaka Airport, New Zealand, on a potential 100-day journey. NASA will begin flight preparations in the early morning hours Thursday and will continue to evaluate real-time and forecast weather …
WANAKA, New Zealand – NASA postponed the scheduled launch of its super pressure balloon (SPB) from Wanaka, New Zealand, Friday, May 13 (Thursday, May 12 in the United States) due to unacceptable wind conditions. Today's ground and lower-level winds were over limits and not aligned, which can create a shearing effect during launch operations. Wind …
WANAKA, New Zealand—NASA is targeting Friday, May 13 (Thursday, May 12 in the United States), to conduct a super pressure balloon (SPB) test flight launching from Wanaka Airport, New Zealand, on a potential 100-day journey. NASA will begin flight preparations in the early morning hours Friday and will continue to evaluate real-time and forecast weather …
