PORTLAND, Ore. — Sharp-eyed Portlanders spotted what appeared to be a weather balloon or similar device floating in the skies to the west of Portland Wednesday morning, prompting a flurry of photos and discussion on social media. KGW has confirmed the object is a scientific research balloon from Tillamook-based Near Space Corporation, which specializes in high-altitude balloons.
Near Space president Kevin Tucker said the balloon is part of a partnership with NASA and was flying on its intended course. The balloon is wind-powered and does not have a motor or anything hazardous on board. Tucker told KGW the balloon launched from the Tillamook Airport at 7 a.m. and returned to the ground Wednesday afternoon, where it was recovered by a team from Near Space.
NASA can "pull large amounts of climatic and atmospheric date from a balloon at high altitude when it's there for an extended period of time," Tucker said. "They learn an incredible amount about our atmosphere, which most people take for granted, but it's really, really important."
KGW spoke to Near Space earlier this year to learn more about high-altitude balloons after a series of what were believed to be Chinese spy balloons drifted over US airspace. The company has operated out of Tillamook for more than 20 years, taking advantage of the large blimp hanger at a former Naval Air Station near the city. The coastal region also offers an ideal airspace with open ocean access and no commercial air traffic routes.
Weather and research balloons fly very high in the atmosphere, as much as 100,000 feet above the ground — more than twice the height of commercial airlines, which typically cruise at 40,000 to 50,000 feet. Tucker said the balloon seen Wednesday was flying at 100,000 feet altitude. "It's up there a long ways," he said.
The balloons can be as tall as a five-story building; the balloon seen Wednesday was about 150 feet tall, Tucker said.
"As it goes to increasing altitudes, it gets larger and larger as there's less pressure outside for it to work against," he said. "And then it finally reaches the point where it floats, just like floating on top of the water. It reaches that point where it's just buoyant and stops going up."
While they're somewhat at the mercy of the wind, Near Space staff said their flight trajectories can be very accurately modeled, and the company coordinates with the Federal Aviation Administration for every flight. The balloons have active transponders, just like an airplane.
Tucker said Near Space launches a scientific balloon about once a month.
It stands to reason that Portlanders spotted the balloon in the morning — Near Space told KGW earlier this year that dawn is the ideal time to launch, because ground winds tend to be at their lowest and it provides the greatest amount of daylight time for operations.