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NASA Balloon Launch Failure Results in Destructive Mayhem

by Terrence O'Brien on April 30, 2010 at 04:55 PM

NASA Balloon Launch Failure Results in Destructive Mayhem
Some are calling NASA's failed launch of a pair of telescopes using a balloon a "debacle" and "calamitous," but we think these outlets aren't giving the space agency the credit it deserves. These are rocket scientists after all. Perhaps, and bear with us here, turning millions of dollars in research equipment into an ad hoc wrecking ball was actually a calculated marketing ploy to capture the attention of the NASCAR and monster truck rally crowd.

See, when the geniuses at NASA tried to launch the HERO and Nuclear Compton telescopes from the Australian Outback on Thursday, they hit a bit of a snag when the payload came loose and was dragged along the ground, narrowly missing several spectators and demolishing at least one SUV.

Sure, the magnitude of the destruction can't compete with the likes of Robosaurus, but with the chance of something being smashed to pieces, we're sure the next NASA balloon launch will draw at least a few more spectators -- and, if you will, maybe some enterprising scientists selling those beer-hat-straw things.

Best of all the whole thing was caught on video. Check it out after the break. [From: PopSci]

Tags: balloon, disaster, launch, nasa, nascar, robosaurus, rocket science, RocketScience, space, telescopes, top

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