FOUND: NASA's stray balloon located in the middle of nowhere The NASA super-balloon that landed in Australia in late April has been found on a cattle station in western Queensland. The Super Pressure Balloon, slated for a 100-day flight but terminated early, completed a near-circumnavigation of Antarctica, departing from New Zealand, heading east, and arriving in Australia before …
"A NASA team scrambled on the news, and will collect trucks in Brisbane before driving to Adelaide to assemble the rest of their team. They will then head for Queensland to try and recover “four tonnes of material”."
It seems an awfully long winded way to go about it ... wouldn't it be much easier to drive the trucks straight from Brisbane and let the Croweaters catch up with them somewhere en route?
Still, as MrDamage remarked ... Queenslanders ...
"It seems an awfully long winded way to go about it ..."
Indeed! Wouldn't be simpler to train those about how to properly collect your kit, protect it and move it to a less rural region, rather than going largely insane and jetting across the globe?
But then, this BOFH Mk II always used the suggested method to excellent success, even under military conditions.
But, also remembers , the US government does what most governments does, treat the average citizen as a village idiot.
Whilst being ruled by elected village idiots.
Yes, that's the parachute. The balloon envelope was made from translucent plastic film - a very strong variety that can withstand some significant internal gas pressure; it's called a "superpressure" balloon, and it can float at constant density altitude for a LONNNGGG time, as UK's Leo Bodnar has done.
73 de Mike W5VSI
Unlike most government projects, they are just renting some standard trucks to go out and pick it up. Any other government project and they would have sent half the army, a whole wing of C-130s, and a naval fleet to go pick it up....
I just hate how the President has to take Air Force One to carry himself, plus several C-130s and C-17s to carry his motorcade and a battalion worth of Secret Service, CIA, NSA, and FBI agents just so he can go golfing... Not to mention shutting down huge swaths of metropolitan areas. He may represent the United States, but when was the last time he actually came in contact with a regular civilian? I wonder how much more advanced science would be if the president just flew on a commercial airliner like a normal person...
Having watched "Outback Truckers" many times those guys could get a roadtrain alongside the Landing Zone even if it was on Mars.
If Nasa's budget cuts can only stretch as far as an amateur job, as the land Down Under is full of Utes; I'm sure Greg and Bruce would sling the payload on the back of the Landcruiser in exchange for a few tinnies.
Or following the alternative motorcade of Pope Frank, maybe Sheila could pop it on the back seat of her FIAT 500 Cabriolet...
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