How a Balloon Over Antarctica Will Help NASA Study the Mysterious Space Between Stars

A new NASA experimentation will take to the skies on a balloon , scanning the space between the stars of our galax and listen for cosmic ingredients to see how the Milky Way evolved over time .

GUSTO , or Galactic / Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory , is set up no earlier than Thursday from the largest ice shelf in Antarctica do it as the Ross Ice Shelf , agree toNASA . From there , the telescope will blow 120,000 feet over Antarctica while attached to a high - height balloon for at least 55 Clarence Day .

Using GUSTO , scientist will create a 3D map of a region of the Milky Way in passing in high spirits frequency radio waves . NASA describe its balloon - assume scope as a “ cosmic radio ” as it listen for signal of carbon copy , oxygen , and nitrogen in the interstellar sensitive , or the outer space between the stars . This space may hold clues as to how star like our Sun are born and develop over time , and how the swirling disk of material around them constitute planets like Earth .

Image: NASA

GUSTO feel the high - frequency signals transmitted by atoms and molecules as it is designed to hear to frequencies about a thousand times high than the ones cellphones run at . “ We essentially have this radio system that we build that we can turn the knob and tune to the frequency of those lines , ” Chris Walker , principal investigator of GUSTO at the University of Arizona , said in a assertion . “ And if we pick up something , we know it ’s them . We roll in the hay it ’s those atoms and atom . ”

Ground - based scope ca n’t carry out these observation due to the water evaporation in the air engulf the light from the atoms and molecule . GUSTO is attached to a 39 million cubic - understructure balloon , which can fly mellow for farseeing periods of time during the summertime season over Antarctica . As it blow , the balloon will be as wide as a football champaign .

NASA utilize two eccentric of balloons to repeal freight towards the atmosphere : zero - pressure and super - pressure balloon . Zero - pressure balloons are typically used for short flights while balloons like the one lifting GUSTO can be used for lengthy flights .

A GUSTO team member at the Long Duration Balloon Facility in Antarctica.

A GUSTO team member at the Long Duration Balloon Facility in Antarctica.Photo: Geoffrey Palo on behalf of the GUSTO Team

While seize to its balloon , GUSTO will soar upwards higher than the water vapor in Earth ’s atmosphere . During its nearly two months above Earth , the telescope will also try out the physical process that forms molecular clouds , gargantuan cosmic structures formed as a result of the accumulation of cold gas and dust that come together in interstellar space . These cloud collapse to mould new stars .

GUSTO is also arrange to divulge the 3D social organization of the Large Magellanic Cloud ( LMC ) , a midget galaxy near the milklike Way that resembles some of the galaxies from the early universe of discourse . “ By studying the LMC and comparing it to the Milky Way , we ’ll be capable to read how coltsfoot acquire from the other universe until now , ” Walker said .

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The GUSTO telescope hangs from the hangar crane during telescope pointing tests.