NOAA’s revolutionary high-altitude research tool passes key milestone

General
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Hello everyone,

I wanted to share with you some exciting news about NOAA’s High Altitude Balloon Observation Platform (HABOP), a revolutionary tool that will enable NOAA to collect high-resolution data and images from the stratosphere using a fleet of solar-powered balloons. HABOP has recently passed a critical design review and is on track to be operational by 2024.

HABOP will complement NOAA’s existing satellites and aircraft by providing more frequent and detailed observations of weather, climate and environmental phenomena. HABOP will also support NOAA’s research and development efforts by testing new sensors and technologies in the harsh conditions of the stratosphere. HABOP is a collaborative project between NOAA, NASA, the University of Colorado Boulder and World View Enterprises.

High-altitude balloons have been used for various purposes in the past, such as scientific experiments, communication, surveillance, tourism and art. Some examples are:

  • The StratEx project, which involved a skydiver jumping from a balloon at 135,000 feet and breaking the sound barrier in free fall.
  • The Loon project, which aimed to provide internet access to remote areas using a network of balloons floating in the stratosphere.
  • The Red Bull Stratos project, which involved a daredevil jumping from a balloon at 128,000 feet and setting several world records.
  • The Stratollite project, which uses balloons to carry payloads for long-duration missions in the stratosphere for various applications such as disaster response, agriculture and astronomy.
  • The Near-Space Photography project, which involves amateurs launching balloons with cameras to capture stunning images of the Earth from above.

I think HABOP is an interesting and innovative project that will advance our understanding of the Earth system and improve our forecasting capabilities. I’m curious to see what kind of data and images HABOP will collect and how they will be used.

What do you think of HABOP? Have you ever used or seen a high-altitude balloon? What would you use a high-altitude balloon for? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

Orginal Sourece: Revolutionary NOAA High-Altitude research tool passes key milestone – sUAS News – The Business of Drones