NASA Balloon Makes Record-Breaking Flight

Larger than a football field and flying near the edge of space, a NASA scientific balloon has set a new flight record of almost 32 days after completing two orbits around the South Pole.

The record-breaking balloon carried the Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (Tiger) experiment, designed to search for the origin of cosmic rays, atomic particles that travel through the galaxy at near light-speeds and shower the Earth constantly.

The pilotless, helium-filled scientific balloon was launched from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, at 6:30 a.m. EST on Dec. 20, 2001. The balloon traveled approximately 8,800 miles (about 14,00 kilometers) before landing about 31 days, 20 hours later at 3:03 a.m. EST, Jan. 21, 284 miles (458 kilometers) from the McMurdo Station.

The previous endurance record for a long-duration balloon flight was set in January 2001 from McMurdo. The flight was one orbit of the South Pole that lasted 26 days. The Tiger mission was able to more than double the amount of continuous science observational time over any previous balloon mission.

"We are excited with the duration of this flight, which allowed the scientists to get ample science to perform their studies," said Steve Smith, Chief of the Balloon Program Office at Wallops Flight Facility. "We routinely have long-duration balloons that float for up to two weeks, but to have one flight last for over 31 days is very rewarding."

For the complete article on the scientific balloon, go to: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/news-release/releases/2002/h02-13.htm