Complete list of stratospheric balloon launches by year, ordered chronologically, with flight details, specific payload, images, etc.
Detailed information and launch logs for main balloon launch facilities including balloon bases, airports, and ships around the world.
Ordered chronologically, detailed accounts of many balloon missions containing description of the payloads, details of the flight, pictures, videos and links to external references.
The stories that shaped scientific ballooning. Events and happenings, many of them memorable and epic, some others funny, a few curious or strange and even some tragedies.
Brief overview of those individuals, organizations, programs and events that had contributed to some extent to the development of scientific ballooning.
Remembering every month important events and dates of scientific ballooning history
In this edition:
World Balloon News is a somewhat regular bulletin containing balloon-related news of what's going on in the field, some speculation (fancy term for "insider data" from sources I can't reveal), historical images, and details about the new contents that week after week enrich this humble project.
Contents:
Left: The best picture of the Chinese balloon, taken by Frank Melliere above Illinois
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Launched from | In flight since | Payload or experiment | Last known status |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | 1/27/2024 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 673 | STILL IN FLIGHT >>>> Last known position (3/11/2024) |
![]() | 3/28/2024 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 676 | STILL IN FLIGHT >>>> Follow the flight in real-time |
![]() | 4/22/2024 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 684 | STILL IN FLIGHT >>>> Follow the flight in real-time |
![]() | 6/7/2024 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 688 | STILL IN FLIGHT >>>> Follow the flight in real-time |
Launch base | Date | Experiment | Flight duration |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | 2024/6/3 | SCEYE- STRATOSPHERIC AIRSHIP | 17 h 20 m |
![]() | 2024/5/28 | HELIX (High Energy Light Isotope eXperiment) | 6 d 8 h 27 m |
![]() | 2024/5/1 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 685 | 46 h |
![]() | 2024/5/22 | OUTPOST PARAGLIDER TEST | 2 h |
![]() | 2024/5/14 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 686 | 28 h |
![]() | 2024/5/10 | STRATOLLITE - AETHER 2R | 63 h |
![]() | 2024/4/5 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 681 | ~ 3 d |
![]() | 2024/4/4 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 682 | 8 h |
![]() | 2024/4/12 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 679 | 28 h |
![]() | 2024/2/27 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 678 | 6 d |
![]() | 2024/2/27 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT N251TH | 6 d |
![]() | 2024/3/29 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 680 | 28 h |
![]() | 2024/3/9 | STRATOLLITE | 2 d 7 h |
![]() | 2023/12/31 | GUSTO (Galactic / Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory) | 57 d |
![]() | 2024/2/23 | MANTIS-1 | 4 h 20 m |
![]() | 2024/2/21 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 675 | 29 h |
![]() | 2023/10/23 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 661 | 95 d |
![]() | 2024/1/25 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 674 | 3 h 20 m |
![]() | 2024/1/20 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 672 | 7 h |
![]() | 2024/1/10 | AESOP-Lite + ANIHALA | 46 h |
![]() | 2023/9/7 | HASP 2023 (High Altitude Student Platform) | 13 h |
![]() | 2023/9/6 | PAYLOAD UNKNOWN | 5 h |
![]() | 2023/9/27 | JPL REMOTE | 15 h |
![]() | 2023/9/25 | FIREBALL (Faint Intergalactic-medium Redshifted Emission Balloon) | 11 h |
![]() | 2023/9/24 | BEXUS 32 (Balloon EXperiments for University Students) | 3 h 31 m |
![]() | 2023/9/21 | BEXUS 33 (Balloon EXperiments for University Students) | --- |
![]() | 2023/9/12 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 660 | 2 d 9 h |
![]() | 2023/9/8 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 659 | 5 d 4 h |
![]() | 2023/8/28 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 657 | 4 d |
![]() | 2023/8/8 | COMICS | 7 h 45 m |
![]() | 2023/8/5 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 650 | 55 m |
![]() | 2023/8/1 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 879TH | 3 d |
![]() | 2023/8/28 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 656 | 3 d 7 h |
![]() | 2023/8/28 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 654 | 3 d 5 h |
![]() | 2023/8/28 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 655 | 2 d 6 h |
![]() | 2023/8/30 | SOLD (Stratospheric Optical Link Demonstration) | 7 h 30 m |
![]() | 2023/8/27 | pre-TRANSAT | 14 h 30 m |
![]() | 2023/8/27 | GRAPE (Gamma-Ray Polarimeter Experiment) + ComPair | 6 h 30 m |
![]() | 2023/8/11 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 649 | 13 d 3 h |
![]() | 2023/8/22 | HICIBAS | 5 h 10 m |
![]() | 2023/8/5 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 648 | 14 d 12 h |
![]() | 2023/8/19 | SALTER TEST FLIGHT | 5 h |
![]() | 2023/8/16 | STRATOLLITE - GRYPHON 29 | 11 h |
![]() | 2023/8/16 | SCEYE- STRATOSPHERIC AIRSHIP | 3 h |
![]() | 2023/8/15 | BESAFE | --- |
![]() | 2023/8/11 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 652 | 15 h 45 m |
![]() | 2023/8/9 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 651 | 2 d 7 h |
![]() | 2023/7/21 | THUNDERHEAD FLIGHT 638 | 10 d 22 h |
![]() | 2023/7/9 | RERA #3 (Rubber balloon Experiment for Reentry capsule with thin-type Aeroshell) | ~ 2 h |
![]() | 2023/7/8 | RERA #2 (Rubber balloon Experiment for Reentry capsule with thin-type Aeroshell) | ~ 2 h |