Long-Duration Amateur Ballooning: Send a Pico Balloon into the Stratosphere and Track it Globally

IEEE Spectrum 2026

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Authors: David Schneider
DOI: 10.1109/mspec.2026.11373506
Cited by: 0

Abstract

There's an interesting development in amateur ballooning: using so-called superpressure balloons, which float high in the atmosphere indefinitely rather than simply going up and up and then popping like a normal weather balloon. Super-pressure balloons can last for months and travel long distances, potentially circumnavigating the globe, all the while reporting their position.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Aerospace Engineering and Energy Systems Aerospace and Aviation Technology Spacecraft Design and Technology

Publication details

Journal / source
IEEE Spectrum
Volume
63
Issue
2
Pages
16–18
Publication date
1 February 2026
Language
EN