{"id":227967,"date":"2026-01-08T10:31:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T20:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=227967"},"modified":"2026-01-08T10:37:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T20:37:40","slug":"pueo-balloon-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/08\/pueo-balloon-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Soaring over Antarctica: <abbr>UH<\/abbr> balloon mission seeks to decode universe\u2019s mysteries"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><figure id=\"attachment_227969\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-227969\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/manoa-physics-pueo-mission-balloon-launch.jpg\" alt=\"large balloon launches into sky\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-227969\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/manoa-physics-pueo-mission-balloon-launch.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/manoa-physics-pueo-mission-balloon-launch-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/manoa-physics-pueo-mission-balloon-launch-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-227969\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><abbr>NASA<\/abbr>\u2019s Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations mission launches from the agency\u2019s facility located near the National Science Foundation\u2019s McMurdo Station in Antarctica on December 20. (Photo credit: <abbr>NASA<\/abbr>\/Scott Battaion)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A <abbr title=\"National Aeronautics and Space Administration\">NASA<\/abbr> scientific balloon carrying a next-generation space science instrument has successfully launched over Antarctica, continuing a legacy of discovery that began at the University of <span lang=\"haw\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M&#257;noa.<\/p>\n<p>The mission, known as the Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations, or <abbr>PUEO<\/abbr>, lifted off December 20, from <abbr>NASA<\/abbr>\u2019s launch facility near McMurdo Station. The balloon reached an altitude of about 120,000 feet and is now drifting high above the Antarctic ice while collecting data.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.csbf.nasa.gov\/map\/balloon9\/flight760N.htm\">Track the balloon in real time<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><abbr>PUEO<\/abbr> is designed to study tiny particles called neutrinos that travel through space at extremely high energies. When these particles strike the thick Antarctic ice, they create brief radio signals. From its vantage point far above the surface, the balloon-mounted instrument listens for those signals, using the ice below as a natural detector.<\/p>\n<p>By tracking these signals, scientists hope to learn more about powerful events in the universe, such as black hole formation and collisions between dense stars. The mission also includes two additional balloons that send test signals to help researchers confirm the instrument is working properly. <abbr>PUEO<\/abbr> is expected to remain airborne for several weeks, circling the continent as it gathers information.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This mission shows how ideas that start in <span lang=\"haw\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> can grow through years of collaboration and dedication into discoveries that help answer some of the biggest questions about our universe,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phys.hawaii.edu\/\">Department of Physics and Astronomy<\/a> Professor Peter Gorham said. &ldquo;It reflects the creativity and persistence of our students, researchers and engineers, and it points to a future where <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> research continues to play a meaningful role in advancing science worldwide.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/go.hawaii.edu\/pPD\">View a video of the launch<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Building on <abbr>UH<\/abbr>\u2019s Antarctic legacy<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_227971\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-227971\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/manoa-physics-pueo-mission-launch-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"large balloon on ground preparing to launch\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-227971\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/manoa-physics-pueo-mission-launch-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/manoa-physics-pueo-mission-launch-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/manoa-physics-pueo-mission-launch.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-227971\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><abbr>NASA<\/abbr>\u2019s <abbr>PUEO<\/abbr> mission prepares to launch from the agency\u2019s facility located near the National Science Foundation\u2019s McMurdo Station in Antarctica on December 20. (Photo credit: <abbr>NASA<\/abbr>\/Scott Battaion)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><abbr>PUEO<\/abbr> builds on earlier work led by <abbr>UH<\/abbr> researchers through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2018\/12\/10\/antarctica-physics-discovery\/\">Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (<abbr>ANITA<\/abbr>)<\/a>. That earlier project completed four balloon flights between 2006 and 2016 and helped open a new way of studying high-energy particles using radio signals detected over Antarctica. <abbr>ANITA<\/abbr> also recorded unusual particle events that scientists are still working to understand. With improved sensitivity and updated technology, PUEO aims to expand on those discoveries and clarify unanswered questions from the earlier missions.<\/p>\n<p>This is the second high-altitude scientific balloon launched from Antarctica this season with major <abbr>UH<\/abbr> involvement. On December 15, a separate scientific balloon carried the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/12\/16\/gaps-experiment-launch\/\">General AntiParticle Spectrometer experiment<\/a> into the sky to search for rare cosmic antimatter linked to dark matter. Together, the missions highlight <abbr>UH<\/abbr>\u2019s growing role in <abbr>NASA<\/abbr>-led balloon research, using Antarctica\u2019s unique environment to study some of the most basic questions about the universe.<\/p>\n<p><abbr>PUEO<\/abbr> is led by Professor Abigail Vieregg of the University of Chicago. The Department of Physics and Astronomy is housed in <a href=\"https:\/\/natsci.manoa.hawaii.edu\/\"><abbr>UH<\/abbr> M&#257;noa\u2019s College of Natural Sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><abbr>PUEO<\/abbr> is designed to study tiny particles called neutrinos that travel through space at extremely high energies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":227969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[308,1467,1363,568,124,545,9],"class_list":["post-227967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-college-of-natural-sciences","tag-manoa-excellence-in-research","tag-manoa-research","tag-natural-science","tag-physics","tag-physics-and-astronomy","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 5.0.0.1 - aioseo.com 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