CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program has launched a second football-stadium-sized, heavy-lift super pressure balloon (SPB) from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand, on a technology mission aimed for 100 days or more of flight in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Detailed explanation-2: -A superpressure balloon (SPB) is a style of aerostatic balloon where the volume of the balloon is kept relatively constant in the face of changes in ambient pressure outside the balloon, and the temperature of the contained lifting gas. This allows the balloon to keep a stable altitude for long periods.

Detailed explanation-3: -The current highest altitude achieved by a NASA balloon is about 160, 000 feet. Most scientists generally want to fly above a specific altitude or as high as possible to improve their collection of science data. There is no minimum altitude but the NASA Balloon Program generally tries to fly above 80, 000 to 90, 000 feet.