Yesterday's launch of a giant balloon with a special telescope NCT (Nuclear Compton Telescope) near Alice Springs in Australia have completed almost a disaster and human tragedies.
During the launch of a giant balloon, used for lifting NCTa the stratosphere, there was a strong side wind gusts that had resulted in uncontrolled lifting the gondola with a telescope and instruments followed the same several times played off the ground and lifts it, and shortly after the fall from the gondola otkačila and continued their journey skakutavi hitting the addition of several vehicles. In at least one of the parked vehicle, prying eye witness the launch, there was an older married couple who fortunately passed without injury.
Parts of the telescope and equipment are scattered within a few hundred meters, it really is true happiness that no one was hurt. Nuclear Compton Telescope for the study of our galaxy and nejgovo boot into the stratosphere allows him an unobstructed view of the sources of electromagnetic radiation that are obstructed by the Earth's atmosphere.
NCT is the result of collaboration between UC Berkeley, and NASA and its value is estimated at several million dollars. In earlier campaigns launched this telescope was in the air a few dozen hours to more than a week.
The team inspected and the research team is now collecting pieces of equipment in the Australian desert and it is certain that when the next launch (if the telescope again operational) should be paid much more attention to the meteorological conditions prevailing just above the ground when the balloons are the most sensitive phase of flight.
Marino Tumpić

















