NASA Schedules First Super Pressure Balloon Launch Attempt

The SuperBIT payload hangs from a yellow crane vehicle. The payload is made up of multiple solar panels, a bar across the top with various instrumentation, and many electronic components make up the main body of the payload. The sky in the background clear and virtually cloudless.
Technicians conduct an end-to-end compatibility test of the SuperBIT payload in preparation for launch. Credit: NASA/Bill Rodman

WĀNAKA, New Zealand — NASA is targeting Sunday, April 16 (Saturday, April 15 in the United States), to conduct a super pressure balloon (SPB) test flight launching from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand, to further test and qualify the technology, which can offer cost savings compared to space missions. This first launch will also carry the Super Pressure Balloon Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT), from Princeton University.

“We are excited to be back in Wānaka for two planned balloon missions set to qualify this game-changing technology that enables long-duration flight in a near-space environment for the science community,” said Debbie Fairbrother, NASA’s Balloon Program Office chief. “A lot of different weather factors need to line up to support a launch attempt, and so far, Mother Nature is cooperating with us nicely for this first opportunity.”

NASA will begin flight preparations in the early morning hours Sunday and will continue to evaluate real-time and forecast weather conditions throughout the morning.  If weather is conducive for launch, lift-off is scheduled between 8 and 11:30 a.m. locally in New Zealand (between 4 and 7:30 p.m. U.S. EDT Saturday, April 15).
 
This is the first scheduled launch attempt for NASA’s 2023 Wānaka Balloon Campaign. The window for the campaign opened April 3, but weather conditions haven’t lined up until now.
 
For those in the local area, the public won’t be allowed at Wānaka Airport on the morning of the launch attempt or to park alongside the airport. However, immediately after lift-off, the balloon will be visible for miles around – the best viewing points will be on the hill on the Hawea side of the Red Bridge by Kane Road or on the Hawea Flat side of the Clutha River.
 
In addition, the launch can be tracked in the following ways: 
 
A live feed of the launch is available here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-csbf-downrange-operations 
 
Track the progress of the flight at the following link, which includes a map showing the balloon’s real-time location, at: http://www.csbf.nasa.gov/newzealand/wanaka.htm

For subsequent launch attempts, if needed, NASA will announce by 2 p.m. NZST (10 p.m. EDT) if the next day’s forecast weather will support a launch attempt.

For launch, winds need to be light and flowing in a reliable direction both at the surface and at low levels up to about 1,000 feet (300 meters). Winds flowing in opposite directions on the ground and lower levels could have a shearing effect on the balloon. In addition, NASA monitors for favorable stratospheric wind conditions at 110,000 feet (33.5 km), which is where the balloon will float.

After launch the 18.8-million-cubic-foot (532,000 cubic-meter) SPB will ascend to its float altitude where the stratospheric winds will propel it at speeds up to and exceeding 100 knots on a weeks-long journey around the southern hemisphere.

More information on the campaign is available here.