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Spinoff story
Tracking the Double Eagle
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman made aviation history piloting their balloon from Presque Isle, Maine to Miserey, France. They were the first to negotiate a successful Atlantic crossing in a free flying balloon after a score of attempts over a span of more than a century. Carried aboard the balloon, simple seven-pound beacon continuously transmitted signals to NASA's Nimbus-6 satellite. Nimbus relayed signals to monitors at Goddard Space Flight Center enabling Goddard to compute the balloon's position. Handar, Inc. was the first to use this NASA acquired technology.