NASA researchers use balloon flights to do scientific experiments or test out equipment for future space missions. At 21 to 25 miles (34 to 40 kilometers) in the air, where these balloons fly, Earth's atmosphere is extremely thin. This means equipment on board the balloon can get a clear view of outer space.
"The super-pressure balloon technology is a real game-changer for conducting cutting-edge science at the end of space," says Debbie Fairbrother. She heads NASA's Balloon Program Office in Virginia.
These scientific balloons are made of a thin plastic film that's just 0.0008 inches (0.02 millimeters) thick. Called polyethylene, it's similar to sandwich wrap. But that flimsy-looking skin stretches around an enormous volume of air. The most common balloons flown by NASA are 40 million cubic feet in volume-equal to 195 Goodyear blimps. These balloons are about 40 stories tall. NASA also launches balloons that are smaller than this, or even larger.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November/December 2023-Ausgabe von Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November/December 2023-Ausgabe von Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.
