NASA's Massive Super Pressure Balloon Plummets Into the Pacific Ocean After Developing a Leak

A massive science balloon from NASA suffered a leak shortly after takeoff, resulting in its descent into the Pacific Ocean near New Zealand. Despite efforts to address the leak by releasing weight, the balloon couldn't stay in the air, as per NASA's announcement.

Anomaly in NASA's Super Pressure Balloon

NASA's second super pressure balloon (SPB) carrying the two-ton Extreme Universe Space Observatory 2 (EUSO-2) payload developed a leak and the flight was safely terminated over the Pacific Ocean.

The balloon was launched from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand, and flew for 1 day, 12 hours, and 53 minutes before termination. This was the final launch of NASA's 2023 New Zealand balloon campaign.

During the flight, the SPB experienced a leak and attempts were made to maintain its altitude by dropping ballast. However, it was decided to terminate the flight over the Pacific Ocean for safety reasons. NASA will investigate the cause of the issue to improve super pressure balloon technology.

Debbie Fairbrother, NASA's Scientific Balloon Program chief, expressed disappointment with the mission's end and mentioned the intention to learn from the incident. NASA has been conducting thorough environmental analyses for open-ocean landings since 2015 to minimize the impact on marine species.

In contrast, the first super pressure balloon carrying SuperBIT is still functioning well on its fourth revolution of the Southern Hemisphere. The mission continues to progress successfully since its launch in April.

Recovering the Fallen Balloon Would Be Challenging

Retrieving the payload poses a challenging task as the crashed balloon has sunk into the ocean depths swiftly, Futurism reported. To minimize harm to marine life, NASA designed the balloon to utilize its heavy payload, which drags it down rapidly.

Super pressure balloons are specifically engineered to carry substantial loads by maintaining positive internal pressure, enabling stability at high altitudes without the need to drop ballast. This distinguishes them from conventional scientific balloons that rely on air currents and ballast adjustment to stay at the desired altitude.

The recently crashed balloon is the second of its kind launched by NASA. In contrast, the American space agency said that the first balloon that was launched on April 16 has been functioning as intended and has completed three revolutions around the Earth's southern hemisphere at an altitude of approximately 108,000 feet.

However, as this recent balloon was intended to validate the feasibility of super-pressure balloons, NASA recognizes the need for further refinement before employing the technology more reliably.

NASA's Scientific Balloon Program

NASA's Scientific Balloon Program involves launching large unmanned helium balloons as a cost-effective means of deploying payloads for space exploration. This program has facilitated significant advancements in various scientific fields, including astronomy, cosmic rays, and atmospheric studies.

A significant milestone in scientific ballooning was reached on January 7, 2009, when three long-duration sub-orbital flights were successfully launched and operated in Antarctica.

This achievement was made possible through a collaborative effort between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA, with NSF handling communication and logistics, while NASA provided the satellite communication link. Since 1989, the program has successfully carried out one or two flights every year.

The unique atmospheric conditions and polar vortex over Antarctica during the austral summer enable the launch and recovery of balloons from the same location, weeks apart. The extended duration of Antarctic flights is attributed to the stable environment with minimal atmospheric and temperature changes.

The constant daylight in the region eliminates day-to-night temperature fluctuations and allowed the balloons to maintain a nearly constant altitude for prolonged periods.

Check out more news and information on Tech and Innovation in Science Times.