BOREALIS logo

Balloon Outreach, Research, Exploration and Landscape Imaging System

 

BOREALIS is MSGC's stratospheric ballooning program. In the program, students from a variety of majors work together to conceive, design and build payloads that are flown up to 100,000 feet - the edge of space. BOREALIS has two complete ballooning programs at Montana State University and the Salish Kootenai College. Other MSGC Affiliate campuses develop science and engineering payloads to fly in coordination with the two university programs.

 

Follow a flight live at: Balloon Flight Tracker


Getting involved!

MSU Open House:

Every Thursday

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm during the academic year

At the BOREALIS lab

All students are welcome to come to the BOREALIS lab during open house, regardless of major, year in school, or experience. Students can tour the lab, or even get involved working on a project.

Location

150 West Lincoln Street

Bozeman, MT 59718

Marsh Modular 2

45°39'52.2"N 111°03'54.7"W

BOREALIS Location

BOREALIS lab building

Internships and Apprenticeships:

Learn about how to apply for a BOREALIS internship or apprenticeship: research opportunities


Highlights

Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP)

A project lead by the BOREALIS lab to stream live footage of the October 14, 2023 annular eclipses and the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipses. With 53 teams and over 750 participant from all over the nation taking part in this project. 

Night flight

On October 24th 2024 the first Night Flight in the BOREALIS labs history was launched. Equipt with a new beacon payload, the balloon was released at dusk.

Current Balloon System

2024 Payload System Diagram. The top is the balloon, with the vent and parachute attached below. Then there are harness cords that connect to the payloads below.    A picture of a balloon with cords bellow attaching to payloads.

 

                                                                                                                                                               The flight October 24th 2024. 

Previous Balloon System

Balloon SystemBalloon Sunrise

 

                                                                                                                                                              


Pictures

From Balloon Payload

The Earth from space, with the sun glairing

A Picture taken from a balloon payload during the NEBP project.

From Launch Days

People crowding around the balloon inflaiting and the payloads.

Inflating the balloon at dusk for the October 24th 2024 Night Flight 

People surrounding a balloon as it is filled.

People Filling the balloon with helium for the August 8th 2024 flight.

A large balloon with strings bellow carrying payloads being release by a boy

A balloon being release for the flight of June 10th 2024. 

A group of people standing outside at a table with laptops

The ground station team during the eclipse project 

puppy

Preparing a balloon for launch near Livingston