The giant balloon that helped connect the world
On August 12, 1960, NASA put a 100-foot reflective balloon into orbit—and demonstrated that communications signals could travel enormous distances by bouncing off something in space.
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August 2026
A clearer view of human progress.
Earlier moments that moved humanity forward.
On August 12, 1960, NASA put a 100-foot reflective balloon into orbit—and demonstrated that communications signals could travel enormous distances by bouncing off something in space.
Read the story