Did a NASA exoplanet-hunting balloon really 'crash' in Texas? Not according to the scientist behind the flight
October 16, 2025
A special exemption allowed a NASA-funded weather balloon to launch as planned Oct. 1, despite the ongoing government shutdown that began that day. But news about the balloon, and an exoplanet-hunting experiment on board, got a little confused after touchdown.
When the balloon landed Oct. 2 in farmland in Hale County, Texas after a flight high in Earth’s atmosphere, several local news…