Scientific Balloons
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility manages the agency’s Scientific Balloon Program with 10-15 flights on average each year from launch sites worldwide.
balloons by the numbers
days longest balloon flight record
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Program Overview
Our mission is to provide the nation with a low-cost, fast-response access to near-space.
NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program provides a platform for scientific investigation and technology development. The program supports 3-5 campaigns each year with 10-15 individual flights. There are 30-40 active missions in various states of development each year.
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Program Capabilities
The two types of balloons currently used by the NASA Balloon Flight program are zero-pressure and super-pressure.
Balloon size is tailored to the payload requirements (mass and desired altitude). The Balloon Program can support payloads from 8 lb through 8000 lb worldwide. There are also several standard technology capabilities available to assist with pointing an instrument and transmitting data.
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Balloon Operations
The Balloon Program is engaged in worldwide support of balloon launches.
The NASA Balloon Program provides low-cost, stable platforms for NASA science and technology in the stratosphere. Balloons provide an excellent training ground for scientists and engineers.
The Program continues to push to break records in altitude and mission duration to enable more extraordinary scientific achievement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would someone want to fly an experiment on a balloon?
Flying on a balloon above 100,000 feet allows an experiment to have a clear view of the heavens above. This can allow for excellent views of heavens without any interference from the atmosphere. It is like being in space, but it cost a lot less than rocket or a space mission. Smaller “piggyback” payloads can also be flown.
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Media Resources
Contact information and resources.
Contact information for key office personnel and members of the media are available. There are also several fact sheets that can be printed and distributed as well as a gallery of images from various balloon operations.
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Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility
The Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility houses the NASA Balloon Operations Contract in Palestine, Texas. Personnel deploy globally to support balloon launches. Their website also hosts live video and data from current flight operations.
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