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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Scientific Ballooning

Balloon Program Office

About BPO

History at a Glance

    2012

  • Record setting Super-TIGER flight launched from Antarctica – 55 day flight!
  • Three concurrent simultaneous LDB missions in the air at the same time over Antarctica
  • Successful deployment test flight in Sweden of a ~18 MCF Super Pressure Balloon
  • 9 balloon flights from 3 locations around the world
  • 100% balloon success with NASA Standard Balloons

    2011

  • Successful test flight of the Wallops Arc Second Pointer (WASP)
  • Successful 22 day Antarctic flight of a ~14 MCF Super Pressure Balloon
  • Two launches of the High Altitude Student Platform (HASP)
  • 16 balloon flights from 5 locations around the world
  • 100% balloon success with NASA Standard Balloons

    2010

  • New design of launch head implemented
  • Qualification flight of a new NASA balloon material
  • Multiple test launches supporting the Balloon Array for RBSP Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL) project
  • 11 balloon flights from 3 locations around the world

    2009

  • 3 balloons (2 LDB and 1 conventional balloon) aloft simultaneously from 2 continents
  • New Australian staging building erected to support operations
  • Completion of a record setting 54 day ~7 MCF Super Pressure Balloon flight
  • 13 balloon flights from 3 locations around the world
  • 100% balloon success with NASA Standard Balloons

    2008

  • 14 balloon flights from 2 locations around the world
  • Successful test flight of a ~2 MCF Super Pressure Balloon
  • Launch of a record setting ~7 MCF Super Pressure Balloon

    2007

  • New flight systems operation including systems to reduce parachute opening shock, automatic parachute cut away system, and the Micro Instrumentation Package (MIP)
  • 17 balloon flights from 4 locations around the world

    2006

  • 3 LDB flights from Sweden and 2 from Antarctica
  • National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF) is renamed the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF)
  • First launch of the High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) which provides annual balloon flights for student payloads
  • 13 balloon flights from 4 locations around the world

    2005

  • New Antarctic facilities in place for campaign. New expanded facilities include two new staging buildings, Electronics building, rigging building, galley, and other support buildings and infrastructure.
  • Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass (CREAM) experiment sets a flight duration record of almost 42 days at float over Antarctica
  • Successful drop test to replicate a Mars atmosphere entry parachute deployment
  • 15 balloon flights from 4 locations around the world

    2004

  • Second year with 100% balloon success with NASA Standard Balloons
  • 14 balloon flights from 3 locations around the world

    2003

  • First year with 100% balloon success with NASA Standard Balloons
  • Loss of Space Shuttle Columbia and the National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF) serves as a staging ground and focal point for the recovery of debris

    2002

  • Successful aerial deployment and inflation of packed prototype Mars balloon
  • Physical Sciences Laboratory(PSL)/New Mexico State University(NMSU) awarded Balloon Operations Contract, 10 year total

    1998

  • First NSBF Northern Hemisphere LDB Circumglobal Mission (2 Missions To Date)

    1997

  • Physical Sciences Laboratory(PSL)/New Mexico State University(NMSU) awarded Balloon Operations Contract, 5 year total

    1992

  • Long Duration Balloon Missions become steady state capability
  • NASA Standard Balloon Designs implemented
  • Physical Sciences Laboratory(PSL)/New Mexico State University(NMSU) awarded Balloon Operations Contract , 5 year total

    1990

  • First NSBF LDB Antarctic Campaign in December

    1989

  • NASA establishes the Long Duration Balloon (LDB) Development Project to provide designs for future LDB systems to fly in polar regions

    1988

  • 46 flights completed this year
  • A total of 24 flights were supported in 6 campaigns from Alice Springs, Australia to observe supernova SN1987A over a two year period (1987 and 1988)
  • Two flights launched from Alice Springs, Australia circle the globe and land in Brazil

    1987

  • Physical Sciences Laboratory(PSL)/New Mexico State University(NMSU) awarded Balloon Operations Contract, 5 year total
  • Supernova SN1987A occurs and observation flights from Australia launched
  • Planning started for longer duration balloon flights

    1986

  • Comprehensive Research & Development Program implemented at NASA Wallops flight Facility

    1985

  • Potential of longer duration balloon flights in the Northern Hemisphere documented
  • In the mid-1980’s a number of new engineering advances were implemented including a new Helium valve, burst detector, new launch techniques, balloon film improvements, and more.

    1984

  • Balloon Recovery Program implemented in response to balloon reliability issues.
  • Establishes qualified balloon designs, test program and film qualification standards

    1983

  • NASA establishes the Balloon Program Office at Wallops Flight Facility and assumed management of the National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF)
  • NASA Balloon Working Group established

    Pre-NASA Management

  • Program managed by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through NCAR
  • Establishment of the National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF) in Palestine, TX
  • Hundreds of science flights from launch locations around the world
  • Balloon reliability issues for flights with heavier payloads in the early 1980’s

 

NASA Code 820

Scientific Balloon Update

Report back for the latest update from NASA's Balloon Program Office.