4 min read<\/p>\n
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img-0196-0.jpg?w=1041\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nA scientific balloon is inflated for the Salter Test Flight before being released during NASA\u2019s 2023 fall balloon campaign. The test flight returns for the 2024 campaign in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, carrying several smaller payloads.<\/div>\nNASA\/Andrew Hynous<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNASA\u2019s Scientific Balloon Program has kicked off its annual fall balloon campaign at the agency\u2019s balloon launch facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Eight balloon flights carrying scientific experiments and technology demonstrations are scheduled to launch from mid-August through mid-October.<\/p>\n
The flights will support 16 missions, including investigations in the fields of astrophysics, heliophysics, and atmospheric research.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe annual Fort Sumner campaign is the cornerstone of the NASA Balloon Program operations,\u201d said\u00a0Andrew Hamilton, acting chief of NASA\u2019s Balloon Program Office. \u201cNot only are we launching a large number of missions, but these flights set the foundation for follow-on missions from our long-duration launch facilities in Antarctica, New Zealand, and Sweden.\u00a0The Fort Sumner campaign is also a strong focus for our student-based payloads and is an excellent training opportunity for our up-and-coming scientists and engineers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Returning to the fall lineup is the EXCITE (Exoplanet Climate Infrared Telescope<\/a>) mission led by Peter Nagler, principal investigator, NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. EXCITE features an astronomical telescope developed to study the atmospheric properties of Jupiter-type exoplanets from near space. EXCITE\u2019s launch was delayed during the 2023 campaign due to weather conditions.<\/p>\n\u201cThe whole EXCITE team is looking forward to our upcoming field campaign and launch opportunity from Fort Sumner,\u201d said Nagler. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing a more capable instrument than we did last year and are excited to prove EXCITE from North America before we bring it to the Antarctic for our future long-duration science flight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some additional missions scheduled to launch include:<\/p>\n
\n- Salter Test Flight<\/strong>: The test flight aims to verify system design and support several smaller payloads on the flight called piggyback missions.<\/li>\n
- HASP 1.0 (High-Altitude Student Platform)<\/strong>: This platform supports up to 12 student payloads and assists in training the next generation of aerospace scientists and engineers. It is designed to flight test compact satellites, prototypes, and other small payloads.<\/li>\n
- HASP 2.0 (High-Altitude Student Platform 2): <\/strong>This engineering test flight of the upgraded gondola and systems for the HASP program aims to double the carrying capability of student payloads.<\/li>\n
- DR-TES<\/strong> (mini-Dilution Refrigerator and a Transition\u00a0Edge Sensor)<\/strong>: This flight will test a cooling system and a gamma-ray detector in a near-space environment.<\/li>\n
- TIM Test Flight (Terahertz Intensity Mapper): <\/strong>This experiment will study galaxy evolution and the history of cosmic star formation.<\/li>\n
- THAI-SPICE (Testbed for High-Acuity Imaging \u00ad\u00ad<\/strong>\u2013 \u00ad\u00ad\u00adStable Photometry and Image-motion Compensation Experiment)<\/strong>: The goal of this project is to build and demonstrate a fine-pointing system for stratospheric payloads with balloon-borne telescopes.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- TinMan (Thermalized Neutron Measurement Experiment)<\/strong>: This hand-launch mission features a 60-pound payload designed to help better understand how thermal neutrons may affect aircraft electronics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
An additional eight piggyback<\/a> missions will ride along on flights to support science and technology development. Three of these piggyback missions are technology demonstrations led by the balloon program team at NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Their common goal is to enhance the capabilities of NASA balloon missions. CASBa<\/strong> (Comprehensive Avionics System for Balloons)<\/strong> aims to upgrade the flight control systems for NASA balloon missions. DINGO<\/strong> (Dynamics INstrumentation for GOndolas)<\/strong> and SPARROW-5 (Sensor Package for Attitude, Rotation, and Relative\u00a0Observable Winds \u2013 Five)<\/strong> are technology maturation projects designed to provide new sensing capabilities to NASA balloon missions.<\/p>\nZero-pressure balloons, used in this campaign, are in thermal equilibrium with their surroundings as they fly. They maintain a zero-pressure differential with ducts that allow gas to escape to prevent an increase in pressure from inside the balloons as they rise above Earth\u2019s surface. This zero-pressure design makes the balloons very robust and well-suited for short, domestic flights, such as those in this campaign. The loss of lift gas during the day-to-night cycle affects the balloon\u2019s altitude after repeated day-to-night cycles; however, this can be overcome by launching from the polar regions, such as Sweden or Antarctica, where the Sun does not set on the balloon in the summer.<\/p>\n
To follow the missions in the 2024 Fort Sumner fall campaign, visit\u202fNASA\u2019s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website<\/a>\u202ffor real-time updates of balloons\u2019 altitudes and locations during flight.<\/p>\nNASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia manages the agency\u2019s scientific balloon flight program with 10 to 15 flights each year from launch sites worldwide.\u202fPeraton, which operates NASA\u2019s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) in Palestine, Texas, provides mission planning, engineering services, and field operations for NASA\u2019s Scientific Balloon Program. The CSBF team has launched more than 1,700 scientific balloons over some 40 years of operations. NASA\u2019s balloons are fabricated by Aerostar. The NASA Scientific\u202fBalloon Program is funded by the Science Mission Directorate\u2019s Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For more information on NASA\u2019s Scientific Balloon Program, visit: https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/scientificballoons<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/img-0196-0.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>NASA\u2019s Scientific Balloon Program has kicked off its annual fall balloon campaign at the agency\u2019s balloon launch facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Eight balloon flights carrying scientific experiments and technology demonstrations are scheduled to launch from mid-August through mid-October.<\/p>\n
The flights will support 16 missions, including investigations in the fields of astrophysics, heliophysics, and atmospheric research.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe annual Fort Sumner campaign is the cornerstone of the NASA Balloon Program operations,\u201d said\u00a0Andrew Hamilton, acting chief of NASA\u2019s Balloon Program Office. \u201cNot only are we launching a large number of missions, but these flights set the foundation for follow-on missions from our long-duration launch facilities in Antarctica, New Zealand, and Sweden.\u00a0The Fort Sumner campaign is also a strong focus for our student-based payloads and is an excellent training opportunity for our up-and-coming scientists and engineers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Returning to the fall lineup is the EXCITE (Exoplanet Climate Infrared Telescope<\/a>) mission led by Peter Nagler, principal investigator, NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. EXCITE features an astronomical telescope developed to study the atmospheric properties of Jupiter-type exoplanets from near space. EXCITE\u2019s launch was delayed during the 2023 campaign due to weather conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole EXCITE team is looking forward to our upcoming field campaign and launch opportunity from Fort Sumner,\u201d said Nagler. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing a more capable instrument than we did last year and are excited to prove EXCITE from North America before we bring it to the Antarctic for our future long-duration science flight.\u201d<\/p>\n Some additional missions scheduled to launch include:<\/p>\n An additional eight piggyback<\/a> missions will ride along on flights to support science and technology development. Three of these piggyback missions are technology demonstrations led by the balloon program team at NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Their common goal is to enhance the capabilities of NASA balloon missions. CASBa<\/strong> (Comprehensive Avionics System for Balloons)<\/strong> aims to upgrade the flight control systems for NASA balloon missions. DINGO<\/strong> (Dynamics INstrumentation for GOndolas)<\/strong> and SPARROW-5 (Sensor Package for Attitude, Rotation, and Relative\u00a0Observable Winds \u2013 Five)<\/strong> are technology maturation projects designed to provide new sensing capabilities to NASA balloon missions.<\/p>\n Zero-pressure balloons, used in this campaign, are in thermal equilibrium with their surroundings as they fly. They maintain a zero-pressure differential with ducts that allow gas to escape to prevent an increase in pressure from inside the balloons as they rise above Earth\u2019s surface. This zero-pressure design makes the balloons very robust and well-suited for short, domestic flights, such as those in this campaign. The loss of lift gas during the day-to-night cycle affects the balloon\u2019s altitude after repeated day-to-night cycles; however, this can be overcome by launching from the polar regions, such as Sweden or Antarctica, where the Sun does not set on the balloon in the summer.<\/p>\n To follow the missions in the 2024 Fort Sumner fall campaign, visit\u202fNASA\u2019s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website<\/a>\u202ffor real-time updates of balloons\u2019 altitudes and locations during flight.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia manages the agency\u2019s scientific balloon flight program with 10 to 15 flights each year from launch sites worldwide.\u202fPeraton, which operates NASA\u2019s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) in Palestine, Texas, provides mission planning, engineering services, and field operations for NASA\u2019s Scientific Balloon Program. The CSBF team has launched more than 1,700 scientific balloons over some 40 years of operations. NASA\u2019s balloons are fabricated by Aerostar. The NASA Scientific\u202fBalloon Program is funded by the Science Mission Directorate\u2019s Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.\u00a0<\/p>\n For more information on NASA\u2019s Scientific Balloon Program, visit: https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/scientificballoons<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n