The longest haul: NASA’s balloons fly for 100 days

The space agency’s balloons fly three times as high as an airliner

In April, NASA launched its latest scientific balloon from Wānaka Airport on New Zealand’s South Island. The ‘super pressure’ aircraft is roughly the size of a football stadium – yes, really – and is due to spend more than three months flying around the southern hemisphere’s mid-latitudes, where it will measure so-called neutral wind in the upper atmosphere. The team behind the mission hope the findings will help scientists predict changes in the ionosphere, which can affect communication and navigation systems.

Shaped like pumpkins, NASA’s balloons really are a modern engineering marvel. Because they’re completely sealed, with no open ducts, gas can’t escape, meaning pressure builds up as the gas expands. It’s this innovation that allows them to fly for far longer than traditional hot air balloons. The latest, for example, measures a frankly gigantic 18.8 million cubic feet.

This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.

Login

Become a Member

To continue reading the rest of this article, please login.

Username or Email

Password Forgot password?

Keep me signed in on this device.

If you check this box before you log in, you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return, even if you close your browser and come back later.

If you check the box above before you log in, you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return, even if you close your browser and come back later.

---

or

---

Login with a Passkey

To unlock all Australian Aviation magazine content and again unlimited access to our daily news and features, become a member today!
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.

PRINT

$49.95 for 1 year Become a Member

See benefits

• Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
• Access to In Focus reports every month on our website

MOST POPULAR

PRINT + DIGITAL

$99.95 for 1 year Become a Member

$179.95 for 2 years Become a Member

See benefits

• Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
• Access to the Australian Aviation app
• Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
• Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
• Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
• Daily news updates via our email bulletin

DIGITAL

$5.99 Monthly Become a Member

$59.95 Annual Become a Member

See benefits

• Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
• Access to the Australian Aviation app
• Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
• Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
• Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
• Daily news updates via our email bulletin

View more offers and details