31 March 2025
The NASA Scientific Balloon Program at GSFC/WFF is implementing an annual program-funded suborbital stratospheric mission that will host missions of opportunity for both science and technology developments. The intent is to provide a development path that increases TRL levels in an expedient and cost efficient manner.
We are soliciting across all disciplines to take advantage of the opportunity on a stratospheric balloon flight in the August-September 2025 timeframe from our New Mexico launch location with a targeted mission duration of 4+ hours above 30km. We will be performing the majority of mission of opportunity integration and testing at Wallops Flight Facility and will provide technical management and some limited engineering support that would ensure structural integrity and provide access to power. The hosted gondola will then be shipped to the field to be flown in August/September 2025.
This is on a space-available first-come first-serve basis. WFF has limited but available Integration & Testing (I&T) infrastructure and engineering support to meet tailored levels of mission assurance.
All missions of opportunity will fly as an accepted risk. Mission planning will baseline for no less than four hours at or above 100,000 feet or 30mb. Following termination, the payload will be recovered and all missions of opportunity returned to their owner. Collaborators must meet structural integrity and comply with other hazardous systems/operations safety requirements levied by the program.
This effort is the program’s initial attempt to provide technology maturation opportunities that can accommodate a broader scope of mass, volume, cost, and complexity of missions of opportunities / piggybacks. We intend to make this an annual event with additional forward planning to ensure sufficient coordination and development time. Importantly, outside of this opportunity, the program welcomes and will work with Science and Technology innovators to provide space-available missions of opportunity on other science missions and continuously works with our science customers to ensure support and alignment.
Additional details, specifications, etc. are available and will be provided to interested parties. Please direct inquiries to Dr. Gabriel Garde (Chief) at gabriel.j.garde@nasa.gov, Dr. Sarah Roth (Chief Technologist) at sarah.roth@nasa.gov, and/or Andrew Hamilton (Deputy Chief) at andrew.s.hamilton@nasa.gov.