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NASA Scientific Balloons

NASA's scientific balloon program is managed out of the agency's Wallops Flight Facility.

  • New Mexico Scientific Balloon Campaign Update – Sept. 15

    The Electron Losses driven by VLF EmissionS (ELVES) mission launched at 10:04 a.m. EDT (8:04 a.m. MDT) on Sept. 15, 2025. The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of 125,000 feet and flew for 8 hours, 12 minutes. The experiment includes multiple detection methods for both Very Low Frequency (VLF) emissions and electron precipitation, including magnetometers, x-ray detectors, and cosmic noise absorption measurements, advancing our understanding of radiation belt dynamics and ionospheric interactions.

    To follow the missions in the 2025 Fort Sumner campaign, visit NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website for real-time updates of balloons’ altitudes and locations during flight.

    A large scientific balloon being inflated with helium during launch preparations, with ground crew and support vehicles visible below against a clear blue sky
    UCLA's ELVES (Electron Losses driven by VLF Emissions) scientific balloon during inflation on September 15, 2025, at Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The balloon carried instruments to study electron precipitation in the upper atmosphere.
    NASA/ Patrick Rogers

  • New Mexico Scientific Balloon Campaign Update – Sept. 14

    NASA launched two scientific balloon missions from the agency’s Fort Sumner, New Mexico, launch facility Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. This marks the first time two scientific balloons were launched on the same day since 2011.

    The JPL-Remote mission launched at 10:12 a.m. EDT (8:12 a.m. MDT) Sept. 14, 2025. The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of 127,000 feet and flew for 12 hours, 58 minutes. The mission’s main goal is to measure how different gases are layered in Earth’s atmosphere to check satellite data and track long-term changes since 1989.

    The Cosmic Dust Collection Project (CDCP) mission launched at 12:10 p.m. EDT (10:10 a.m. MDT). The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of 125,000 feet and flew for 8 hours, 36 minutes. The mission’s aimed to capture cosmic dust at different altitudes in Earth’s atmosphere to study how much of this dust has contaminated the stratosphere.

    To follow the missions in the 2025 Fort Sumner campaign, visit NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website for real-time updates of balloons’ altitudes and locations during flight.

    A NASA scientific balloon inflating behind a white truck during launch operations, with the balloon glowing in the sunlight against a cloudy sky.
    Launch preparations for the JPL-REMOTE payload showing the scientific balloon during inflation phase. The balloon rises behind the launch support truck as part of standard balloon mission operations.
    NASA

  • New Mexico Scientific Balloon Campaign Update- Sept. 4

    The High-Altitude Student Platform 2 (HASP2) successfully launched at 8:28 a.m. MDT (10:28 a.m. EDT) Thursday, Sept. 4 and reached a float altitude of nearly 122,000 feet. HASP remained in flight for a total of 11 hours,40 minutes. Science reports a successful flight. The balloon and payload have safely landed, and recovery efforts are underway.

    The HASP2 program is a collaborative effort between Louisiana Space Grant Consortium at Louisiana State University (LaSPACE - LSU), NASA SMD: Astrophysics Division, NASA Balloon Program Office (BPO) and the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) to develop and operate an inexpensive platform that can be used to flight test compact satellites, prototypes and other small payloads designed and built by students. The High Altitude Student Platform 2 (HASP2) is designed to carry up to twenty-four (24) student payloads at a time to an altitude of about 110,000 feet with flight durations of 15 to 20 hours.

    Student Payloads and Organizations for 2025 include:

    • Big Red Sat 1.5 – The University of Nebraska Lincoln
    • STRAINS 4.0 – Sint-Pieters College Jett
    • Bat Sat – University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
    • FLC Ionizing Radiation vs Solar Insolation (IRSI) Experiment – Fort Lewis College
    • Strato Sentinal – University of Boston Massachusetts
    • Ozone Sensors Payload – University of North Florida
    • Astrolab – Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería
    • Spectra Solis – College of the Canyons
    • Astro Tracker II - Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería
    • MSTRI – McMaster University
    •  OLIMPO - Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería

  • New Mexico Scientific Balloon Campaign Update- Aug. 21

    Aug. 21, 2025: The Salter Test Flight launched at 9:21 a.m. EDT (7:21 a.m. MDT) Thursday, Aug. 21 from the agency’s balloon launch facility, marking the first successful balloon flight of the campaign. The balloon and payload reached a float altitude of 124,000 feet, and flew for a total of 5 hours, 4 minutes. The hardware test flight reported a healthy balloon and flight systems, and requirements were met before successful termination. Several smaller payloads, or piggyback missions, rode along to support science and technology development, including numerous student experiments. Recovery efforts are underway.  

    Aerial view of a high-altitude scientific balloon launch preparation in a desert setting at sunset. The white balloon is partially inflated and tethered to a launch vehicle, with support vehicles and personnel positioned around the launch area on a cracked desert surface
    NASA's high-altitude scientific balloon being prepared for launch at Fort Sumner, N.M., during the agency's 2024 fall balloon campaign. The mission carried research instruments to the stratosphere to conduct experiments above 99.5% of Earth's atmosphere.
    NASA/Francis Reddy

  • Seven Scientific Balloons to Fly From New Mexico for NASA Campaign

    A scientific balloon, capable of expanding to 11 million cubic feet at altitude, stands partially inflated against a clear blue sky. Ground crew in safety vests monitor the deployment while the translucent envelope is secured with tethers. Support vehicles including a semi-truck are positioned nearby, with orange safety cones marking the perimeter of the launch field

    A NASA Scientific Balloon Program annual campaign is taking flight at the agency’s balloon launch facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Seven balloon flights carrying scientific experiments and technology demonstrations are scheduled to launch starting in mid-August. To follow the missions in the 2025 Fort Sumner campaign, visit NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website for real-time updates […]

  • NASA Safely Ends Second Super Pressure Balloon Test Flight 

    A graphic map with a red line and points on two land masses, blue ocean surrounds.

    The second test flight of NASA’s 2025 New Zealand Super Pressure Balloon Campaign was safely terminated at 1:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 13 (U.S. Eastern Time) over Argentina. The mission remained in flight for 9 days, 6 hours, and 36 minutes.   Balloon operators from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) in Palestine, Texas, sent flight termination commands […]

  • NASA Ends Super Pressure Balloon Flight After 17 Days

    A graphic of a world map showing land masses and ocean with a red line and markers on each end.

    The first flight of NASA’s 2025 New Zealand Super Pressure Balloon Campaign was safely terminated at 7:46 a.m. Sunday, May 4 (in U.S. Eastern Time) after 17 days, 13 hours, and 47 minutes in flight around the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitude band. Flight controllers at the agency’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, conducted a […]

  • Second NASA Super Pressure Balloon Launches from New Zealand

    A large scientific balloon lifts from the ground. It’s attached by a long cable to a vehicle on the ground, which has a boxy scientific payload dangling from the right side on a long arm. The background has a mountain range with some clouds against a blue sky.

    The second of two planned scientific balloon flights for NASA’s 2025 New Zealand Super Pressure Balloon Campaign successfully lifted off from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand, at 11:38 a.m. NZST, Sunday, May 4 (7:38 p.m., Saturday, May 3 in U.S. Eastern Time). The 18.8 million-cubic-foot super pressure balloon will ascend over the next few hours until […]

  • NASA Balloon Circumnavigates World in 16 Days

    A graphic of the world, with focus on the Southern Hemisphere and a red line, indicating a balloon path, completes a circle.

    More than 16 days after lifting off from Wānaka, New Zealand, NASA’s football-stadium-sized super pressure balloon has completed its first full circumnavigation of the globe — a significant milestone for the test flight around the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes. The balloon crossed the 169.24 east longitude line at 7:22 a.m. Saturday, May 3 (U.S. Eastern Time). […]

  • NASA Scientific Balloon on Track to Cross South America

    A graphic of a world map with green land masses and blue ocean, and a red line representing a flight path of a balloon.

    After five days in flight, NASA’s super pressure balloon test flight carrying the HIWIND payload has nearly crossed the Pacific Ocean and is on track to reach South America Wednesday, April 23 at approximately 2 p.m. EDT (April 23, 6:00 p.m. UTC). The stadium-sized, heavy-lift scientific balloon, which launched from Wānaka, New Zealand, April 16 […]