NASA Super Pressure Balloon Circling New Zealand
Four days into flight, NASA’s second super pressure balloon launched during the agency’s New Zealand campaign remains near the country floating in a wind pattern circulating around and over the country’s North Island.
The test flight is predicted to remain over land for about five more hours before catching zonal winds that will carry it eastward along its typical trajectory around the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes.
Before any land overflight occurs, a thorough assessment is made of the balloon’s health and the forecast trajectory is analyzed from a safety perspective before beginning the overflight.
“We are very proud of all the hard work the team has invested to get us this far,” said Andrew Hamilton, deputy chief of NASA’s Balloon Program Office at the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. “The balloon has been performing well, and we are continuing to gather more data and information on the performance of the balloon system. New Zealand is an ideal location for this kind of mission, allowing us to have extended time in the stratosphere as we circle the globe.”
If weather permits, the balloon may be visible from the ground, particularly at sunrise and sunset. NASA invites the public to track the balloon’s path in real-time here.
