NASA’s pressurized balloon carrying the SuperBIT science payload crossed the Pacific Ocean in just 5 days of flight and departed for South America on Thursday, April 20, at approximately 9:30 PM ET (1:00 PM on Friday, April 21). 30:00 UTC). Taking off from New Zealand’s Wānaka Airport on April 15 (US EST), the science balloon will rapidly pass through Chile and Argentina as it continues its journey through the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere.

Prior to any flight on the ground, a comprehensive assessment is made of the condition of the balloon and the effectiveness of the onboard control and management electronics. In addition, the predicted trajectory is analyzed for safety before the flight starts.

“The balloon is healthy and performing perfectly, maintaining a constant altitude at about 108,000 feet, which was the primary purpose of this mission,” said Debbie Fairbrother, NASA’s science balloon program manager. “This is the first of many flight phases – we want to cross the Pacific several more times, test and validate this balloon technology, while also supporting real cutting-edge science.”

Fairbrother said the SuperBIT science team brought back stunning images from the balloon-borne telescope. The current flight of the science balloon is tracked in real time from NASA’s Columbia Science Balloon Facility in Texas, Palestine, where anyone can track the balloon’s position. NASA estimates that the balloon will make one trip around the world a week for up to three weeks.