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Scientific Balloons Overview

NASA’s Balloon Program Office uses multiple types of balloons to lift scientific payloads into the atmosphere. 

A crane is leading a scientific balloon before launch. The balloon is to the right, and appears an a plastic, upside down teardrop. A tube attached to the top of the balloon leads down to the ground where a number of personnel are holding it. To the left, a crane holding a large payload structure with many solar panels is attached to the end of the balloon.

Since its establishment more than 30 years ago, the NASA Balloon Program has provided high-altitude scientific balloon platforms for scientific and technological investigations, including fundamental scientific discoveries that contribute to our understanding of the Earth, the solar system, and the universe.

Balloons have been used for decades to conduct scientific studies. They can be launched from locations across the globe and are a low-cost method to carry payloads with instruments that conduct scientific observations.

Mission Statement

The primary objective of the NASA Balloon Program is to provide high altitude scientific balloon platforms for scientific and technological investigations.

These investigations include fundamental scientific discoveries that contribute to our understanding of the Earth, the solar system, and the universe. Scientific balloons also provide a platform for the demonstration of promising new instrument and spacecraft technologies that enable or enhance the objectives for the Science Mission Directorate Strategic Plan.

Scientific Balloon Missions

Three people hold onto a large balloon against the Antarctic landscape

BARREL

Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses was a series of balloon campaigns to study Earth's radiation belts, designed to supplement measurements from NASA’s Van Allen Probes.

GUSTO

Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory is a scientific balloon mission that will measure emissions from the interstellar medium, the material between stars. This data will help scientists determine the life cycle of interstellar gas in our Milky Way galaxy.

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Scientific Balloons

Scientific Balloons Media Resources

Media Resources for NASA's Scientific Balloons Program.

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