Implementing new strategic plans for NASA long duration scientific balloons

Over that past twelve years, global long duration balloon (LDB) missions have provided scientists an observation platform that offers tremendous opportunity for accomplishing monumental science. The precedence of several years of highly successful LDB missions and the capability to recover and re-fly such instruments within a relatively short period of time has created even greater demands for serving science missions in 2004 and beyond. To address NASA’s strategic plans for more missions and longer durations, new concepts are being explored and some are currently being developed, in order to enhance the current LDB mission concept.