NASA's second super pressure balloon launch rescheduled for May 2

The launch of NASA's second super pressure balloon (SPB), which was originally scheduled for May 1, has been postponed to Tuesday, May 2. This balloon carrying the Extreme Universe Space Observatory 2 (EUSO-2) science mission will launch from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand to further test and qualify the technology.

EUSO-2, from the University of Chicago, will detect ultra-high energy cosmic-ray particles from beyond our Milky Way galaxy as they penetrate Earth's atmosphere. The data collected from this mission will help solve the mystery surrounding the origins of these particles.

Update April 30, 1 p.m. NZST (April 29, 9 p.m. EDT): After running risk assessments for tomorrow's attempt, the teams have decided to cancel the May 1 New Zealand (April 30 in the United States) launch attempt of the super pressure balloon. Next launch opportunity is Tuesday, May…

— NASA Wallops (@NASA_Wallops) April 30, 2023

The first SPB carrying the Super Pressure Balloon Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT) launched from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand, on April 15. The football-stadium-sized scientific balloon completed its first mid-latitude circumnavigation on April 25, just 10 days, 3 hours, and 50 minutes after launch.

SuperBIT has already captured and released its first research images of the Tarantula Nebula and Antennae Galaxies. The balloon-borne telescope captured the galaxies and the nebula while floating at 108,000 feet above Earth's surface.

According to NASA, one benefit of using a balloon-based telescope over a space telescope is that it can be more cost-effective since it doesn't require launching a large telescope on a rocket. Another advantage is that a super pressure balloon can travel around the world for up to 100 days, allowing it to collect valuable scientific data. Additionally, because the balloon floats at an altitude above much of the Earth's atmosphere, it can be an ideal platform for various astronomical observations.