‘NASA’s 18.8-million-foot giant’: Super balloon to hunt winds, quakes, and space secrets

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Balloon Comeback 

Gabriel Garde, head of NASA’s Balloon Program, leads the return to Wānaka, New Zealand, to flight-qualify giant super pressure balloons for 100-day missions in near-space.

Floating Giant

The 18.8-million-cubic-foot balloon, the size of a stadium, will soar at 110,000 feet, twice as high as commercial jets—testing long-duration flight for future space science.

Credit : NASA

Wind Tracker

NASA’s HIWIND mission, led by National Center for Atmospheric Research, will measure winds in Earth’s thermosphere—key to understanding ionosphere changes that disrupt GPS and communications.

Credit : NASA

Sky Camera

The CoMIC payload from University of Massachusetts Lowell will capture high-altitude airglow and light scattering, studying red and green emissions invisible to the naked eye.

Credit : NASA

Venus Insights

The HIGS experiment from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Sandia Labs will measure infrasound from Earth’s quakes and eruptions—preparing NASA to one day listen to Venus’ seismic activity via balloons.

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Silent Waves

MOANA, led by Sandia Labs and Swedish Institute of Space Physics, will hunt for ultra-low-frequency sound waves in the stratosphere, revealing hidden acoustic signals across the globe.

Shock Sensors

NASA’s INDIGO device will record every jolt and shake as balloon gondolas launch, float, and land—critical data for designing safer payload deliveries from near-space.

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Wind Secrets

The SPARROW-7 ultrasonic sensor will measure wind speeds and directions around the balloon at high altitude—vital for stabilizing flights and guiding future missions.

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Global Orbit

The balloon, guided by stratospheric winds, will circle the Southern Hemisphere, offering stable, long-term platforms for science missions and nighttime sky observations.

Representative pic