A stadium-sized pressure balloon launched by NASA in New Zealand began collecting data in near space today, beginning a 100-day planned journey after several launch attempts were thwarted by storms and cyclones.
The balloon to detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles from beyond the galaxy as they penetrate the earth’s atmosphere, is expected to circle the planet two or three times. The balloon’s monitoring was only the start of a long quest which would next involve a space mission currently being designed by NASA. The balloon, launched yesterday in Wanaka, a scenic spot on New Zealand’s South Island, will collect data from 34 kilometers above the earth.
