NASA’s super pressure balloon hit a new milestone on Tuesday, completing its first circumnavigation of the globe after 14 days, 13 hours and 17 minutes of flight. Flying the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) payload, the 18.8 million-cubic-foot balloon departed from Wanaka Airport, New Zealand, and flew at 53.85 knots, at an altitude of 110,170 feet.
NASA’s Super Pressure Balloon Circumnavigates the Globe
Key Takeaways:
- NASA's super pressure balloon, carrying the COSI payload, successfully completed its first global circumnavigation in just over 14 days.
- The COSI gamma-ray telescope onboard made a significant scientific discovery by detecting and localizing its first gamma-ray burst.
- This mission highlights the capability of scientific balloons to provide affordable, long-duration access to near-space for valuable scientific investigations.
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