NASA Prepares New Balloon Campaign

Six scientific balloon flights carrying solar experiments, technology demonstrations, and student payloads are scheduled to launch from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, starting in mid-August.

Twenty Years of Student Flights

This campaign marks the 20th flight for the High-Altitude Student Platform. Over two decades, more than 1,900 students from about 25 institutions have sent payloads to space's edge.

Testing Prototypes at Space's Edge

Seventeen student teams are flying experiments during this year's launch. These payloads serve as crucial prototypes for future CubeSats and larger space research missions.

Multitasking Technology Platforms

Four balloons will carry technology demonstrations alongside secondary piggyback missions. This includes the second flight year for NASA's BOOP platform testing multiple instruments at once.

Targeting the Solar Corona

A new instrument will study the Sun's corona using the Wallops Arc Second Pointer. This specialized platform points scientific instruments at targets with sub-arc-second accuracy.

Built for Short Domestic Flights

Zero-pressure balloons maintain thermal equilibrium during flight. Open ducts allow gas to escape, balancing internal pressure to make these robust balloons ideal for domestic campaigns.

Program Leadership and Operations

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility manages the program, while Peraton handles mission planning and field operations. Aerostar fabricates the zero-pressure balloons used in New Mexico.

Paving the Way for Antarctic Flight

The solar corona test aims to demonstrate capabilities for a potential future Antarctica mission, which would observe the Sun continuously over a full 27-day solar rotation.