US space agency NASA is set to launch a scientific balloon so big it can fit a football stadium inside from Wanaka.
A giant NASA science balloon being inflated at the launch site near Alice Springs in 2010. Photo: AFP
NASA plans to launch the balloon, which is made up of nine hectares of material, next weekend.
It is hoping to keep it in the air longer than previous attempts of 54 days.
The balloon is designed to float up to 40 kilometres deep in the stratosphere to measure X-rays and gamma rays sent out by various stars and galaxies, then flutter back down to its launch site.
The size of the balloon means people may be able to get a glimpse of it, particularly at sunrise and sunset.
A similar balloon launched from Alice Springs in 2010 crashed on take-off, destroying its payload, tipping over a car, and sending observers running for their lives.
