NASA high-altitude balloon experiment launches in Madras, ends near Prineville
(Update: Adding video, comments from Near Space Corp. president)
Goal is to eventually be able to drop items from the International Space Station safely to Earth
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) In the early hours of Thursday morning, a NASA partner s critical space experiment was underway in Central Oregon.
A stratospheric scientific balloon successfully launched from the Madras Airport around 6 a.m.
The high-altitude balloon flew over 100,000 feet into the air, venturing above the Earth s atmosphere, traveling more than 22 miles high. Well it launched , so that s good,” Kevin Tucker, president of Near Space Corporation of Tillamook, said with a chuckle.
NASA launches research balloon over Oregon oregonlive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from oregonlive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
High-altitude balloon in NASA test soars aloft from Madras Airport
Project s goal is to safely drop items from space back to Earth
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) A large high-altitude balloon soared aloft from the Madras Airport early Thursday morning, ascending more than 22 miles to test for NASA a new way of returning items to Earth, without rockets.
The balloon, which launched around 6 a.m., is part of an experiment to test the accuracy of landing items dropped from the International Space Station safely and precisely back on the ground.
The project is sponsored by NASA s Flight Opportunities Program, in partnership with the Near Space Corp. of Tillamook and the University of Kentucky.
NASA
Originally published on April 12, 2021 10:46 am
NASA is poised to make aerospace history with the planned launch of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. It will be the first flight by a controlled aircraft on another planet beyond Earth.
Decades of planning and prototype testing have led up to this moment. And a piece of that history happened on the Oregon Coast.
“The problem on any planet is the same as Earth. If you want to go around a bunch, you have to go in orbit. To be in orbit, your altitudes are significantly higher than if you could fly,” said Kevin Tucker, president of aerospace engineering company Near Space Corporation. “If you really want to get sensors in close proximity where you can get more measurements on both the ground and the atmosphere, you have to go lower.”
Aerospace Firms End State Solutions and Near Space Corp Announce Joint Agreement - sUAS News suasnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from suasnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.