The giant balloons will travel the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes for missions of 100 days or more. PHOTO: NASA (file)
Wānaka Airport said there is potential for a launch tomorrow about 8am.
After two balloons were successfully launched from there in 2023, NASA announced it would be back this month to launch two more balloons to test and qualify the US space agency’s super pressure balloon technology.
These stadium-sized, heavy-lift balloons will travel the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes for planned missions of 100 days or more.
“We are very excited to return to New Zealand for this campaign to officially flight qualify the balloon vehicle for future science investigations,” said Gabriel Garde, chief of the Balloon Programme Office at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
- APL
