Columbia Scientific Ballon Facility - Palestine, Texas

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Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility - Palestine, Texas

Located in Palestine this NASA facility is managed by the Physical Science Lab of New Mexico State University.  The purpose of the balloon facility is to launch large (440 ft. diameter) unmanned, high altitude (120,000 ft), research balloons.  These balloons have equipment suspended beneath them for which provide NASA with valuable information about what is going on high in the sky.

The balloons are made of a material which is the same type of polyethylene film that is used for plastic bags, about the same thickness as a sandwich bag.  The balloon system includes the balloon, the parachute and a payload that holds instruments to conduct the scientific measurements that help scientists collect data to answer important questions about the universe and beyond.

The same gas that is used in party balloons (helium) is used to fill these balloons.  These large balloons an carry up to 8,000 pounds and fly 26 miles high and stay there for up to two weeks!

Types of research the balloons are used for:
    * Cosmic Ray studies
    * Gamma Ray and X-Ray Astronomy
    * Optical and Ultra-Violet Astronomy
    * Infrared Astronomy
    * Atmospheric Sciences
    * Magnetospherics
    * Micrometeorite Particles

The balloons from here have flown experiments for the following countries:
    * Australia
    * Brazil
    * Canada
    * Denmark
    * Germany
    * Great Britain
    * Italy
    * Japan
    * New Zealand
    * Norway
    * Russia
    * Sweden

Location: 1510 E FM 3224, Palestine, Texas 75803

Phone: 903-729-0271

Email:
      Site Manager: Danny Ball
        Danny.Ball@csbf.nasa.gov