A Queenstown Airport spokeswoman said she understood Nasa was returning to Wanaka in April and that preparations for the visit would start once the team had returned from its recent super-pressure balloon launch in the Antarctic.
Airways New Zealand head of public affairs Emily Davies confirmed Nasa intended to launch again in Wanaka this year and once the timings had been finalised Nasa would work through the details in conjunction with the Queenstown Airport Corp and Airways New Zealand.
It will be the third consecutive year Nasa has launched a super-pressure balloon mission from Wanaka Airport. The first occurred on March 27, 2015, and last year’s successful launch took place on May 17 after four previous attempts.
The long-duration balloon flights at constant altitudes provide Nasa with inexpensive access to the near-space environment for science and technology investigations.
