This was the fifth launch attempt for the team.
AB Wire
NASA successfully launched a super pressure balloon (SPB) from Wanaka Airport, New Zealand on a potentially record-breaking, around-the-world test flight.
The purpose of the flight is to test and validate the SPB technology with the goal of long-duration flight at mid-latitudes.
This was the fifth launch attempt for the team, previous attempts were scrubbed due to weather conditions not conductive for launch.
“The team performed a brilliant launch operation today”said Debbie Fairbrother, NASA’s Balloon Program Office chief. “The balloon is pressurized, healthy, and well on its way for this important test mission. I’m extremely proud of our Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility team for yet another beautiful launch” he added.
As the balloon travels around the Earth, it may be visible from the ground, particularly at sunrise and sunset, to those who live in the southern hemisphere’s mid-latitudes, such as Argentina and South Africa.
This launch marks the beginning of the second SPB flight for COSI, which was developed by the University of California, Berkeley.
The team expects the balloon to be airborne for more than hundred days. The current record for a NASA super pressure balloon flight is 54 days.