NASA launched a telescope to search for Earth-like planets using a giant balloon

NASA Space Agency will search for planets similar to Earth. To do this, a telescope was raised to a height of 125 thousand feet (about 38.1 km), using special optical technology to filter light from stars in orbit which are not located, which is designed to provide better visibility.

To raise the telescope to a given height, NASA used a helium balloon, which is comparable in size to a whole football field. Such a large balloon is necessary due to the fact that the telescope itself also has considerable dimensions and mass. Its length is about 4.3 meters, width - about 0.9 meters, and weight - about 680 kg.

The PICTURE-C telescope will operate at the boundary of the Earth's atmosphere to provide a clear view. This is reusable equipment that will remain in the air for several hours in one run. After the end of the mission, the telescope will disconnect and return to Earth using a parachute. NASA invested $ 5.6 million in funding for this project. It was a five-year grant to the university.

The next launch of the telescope is due to take place in 2020. The device will need to receive more images of outer space to help the research team in the search for planets. The project can also help find other space objects besides Earth-like planets.

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