NASA Launches First Scientific Balloon of Fort Sumner Campaign

NASA successfully launched its inaugural scientific balloon as part of the 2026 Fort Sumner campaign on August 22, 2026. The Salter mission, a technology test flight, lifted off from the agency's balloon launch facility in Fort Sumner at 8:31 a.m. MDT (10:31 a.m. EDT). The balloon and its payload ascended to an altitude of approximately 123,000 feet, cruising for a duration of 4 hours and 8 minutes.

During the flight, the Salter mission verified hardware for upcoming balloon missions. Additionally, a piggyback mission called Cubes in Space carried around 100 miniature payloads, each containing small experiments designed by students aged 11 to 18. These payloads were attached to the side of the Salter test flight balloon gondola and launched as part of the same mission during NASA's 2026 Fort Sumner campaign.