NASA's Balloon Program Returns to New Zealand, IC2's Wireless Array Revolutionizes Noise Testing, and ISS Supports Lunar Exploration Tech

NASA's Scientific Balloon Program is back in Wānaka, New Zealand, for two flights to validate super pressure balloon technology, aiming for missions exceeding 100 days. These flights will also host science missions, including HIWIND to study thermospheric winds. The balloon, roughly the size of a stadium, will float at 110,000 feet, enabling long-duration science and tech research. Interdisciplinary Consulting Corporation (IC2), with NASA's support, has developed a commercial wireless microphone array for aircraft noise testing, offering a cheaper and more efficient alternative to wired systems. This technology also aids in agriculture by detecting crop-threatening insects. Furthermore, experiments tested on the International Space Station (ISS) are now operational on the Moon via Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission-1. These include LEXI, studying Earth's magnetic environment, RadPC, testing computer resilience to radiation, and LuGRE, receiving GNSS signals on the lunar surface. The ISS continues to serve as a crucial testbed for lunar exploration technologies.