A massive NASA research device made a dramatic landing on a serene family farm in West Texas recently. The Walter family was caught off guard during their usual Thursday activities when a gigantic parachute descended from the sky. Intrigued by the unusual sight, they captured photos and videos before alerting the Hale County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon investigation, the deputies informed the Walters that NASA was searching for a missing experimental device in the area. Eventually, the family located the equipment, a substantial apparatus comparable in size to an SUV, resting in an open field.
A NASA team from the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, led by an individual identified as Garrison, quickly arrived at the farm to secure the balloon, as per the Daily Mail report.
Local authorities revealed that the balloon had been launched the previous day from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, traveling over Clovis and Portales before landing on the Walter’s land in West Texas, as reported by the Mirror US.
NASA’s balloon program employs high-altitude, unmanned balloons capable of ascending up to 120,000 feet, nearly 23 miles into the atmosphere, according to the Chronicle. These balloons serve various purposes, such as studying cosmic rays and testing instruments for potential space missions.
Amy Walter expressed her excitement, stating, “I’m so glad that we saw this in the sky. What a cool experience.”
In recent news, NASA highlighted that China’s Three Gorges Dam has subtly altered Earth’s axis, elongating our days by nearly an inch since its construction 18 years ago.
Just last month, NASA launched three satellites into space via a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to enhance understanding of space weather and its impacts on Earth. The IMAP spacecraft will investigate the interaction between the Sun’s energy, particles, and the heliosphere to advance knowledge of space weather and its effects on Earth and space explorers.