NASA's heavy-lift balloon which took off from Wanaka in New Zealand last month has been brought down early over central Australia because of a suspected leak.
The 4000kg "super pressure" balloon, which is 90 metres in diameter, was meant to stay aloft 34km above the earth's surface for 100 days but its flight was ended, after just 32 days, earlier this week NASA, has confirmed.
Controllers detected a leak developing and issued flight termination commands. It fell over a remote area near the Queensland and NSW border just east of Sturt National Park.
A map of the balloon's progress showed it had been flying over the Southern Ocean before it tracked north to land.
The flight was a test run to assess the viability of using such balloons in NASA's research programme after 15 years of development, and of Wanaka's suitability as a permanent launch site.
"While we hoped for more days at float, we exceeded our pre-established minimum success criteria of 10 days by threefold in the balloon's most demanding test yet," said the balloon program's chief Debbie Fairbrother.
Most heavy-lift zero-pressure balloons could vary in altitude by up to 13.7km but the Wanaka balloon - designed to maintain positive internal pressure and shape - had stayed at a steady 33.5km for its flight, she said.
NASA had hoped it would stay aloft for 100 days - breaking the previous record of 54 days.
If Wanaka is confirmed as a launch site, future balloons will carry equipment to investigate the origins of the universe, assess the effects of cosmic rays on the atmosphere and continue the hunt for undiscovered planets, the council's website said.
Share
