Researchers had to bushwhack a mile or so off the road in rough terrain in hot, humid conditions to recover the biggest balloon and instruments.
A team of NASA and University of Wyoming scientists has ventured into the Australian bush to send a series of balloons aloft to make measurements of a volcanic plume originating from neighboring Indonesia.
“The big balloon launch was a huge undertaking, and recovery of the instrument and balloon the next day involved bushwhacking a mile or so off the road in rough terrain in hot, humid conditions,” Fairlie said.
In this photo, the researchers, (left to right) Travis Knepp, Katie Foster (mostly obscured), Terry Deshler and Jean-Paul Vernier, recover a balloon post flight. Credits: NASA