• Source:JND
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The Walter family of Hale County, Texas, had an unexpected encounter with space research on Thursday morning when a massive balloon-like object descended from the sky onto their farmland near Edmonson. What began as a routine day quickly turned into an extraordinary experience, later confirmed to involve a NASA research probe.

Amy Walter recalled that she was getting her son ready when her husband, Hayden, called from outside in alarm. “Hurry and come here!” he shouted. Overhead, a huge parachute was drifting across the morning sky, attached to an unidentified object. The family quickly snapped photos and videos before it vanished from sight. Hayden suspected it had landed somewhere nearby.

Contacting Authorities

Still puzzled, Amy shared the footage with her parents. Her father urged her to call the Hale County Sheriff’s Office, insisting it was no ordinary balloon. Deputies confirmed her suspicion, revealing that a NASA team was already in the area searching for missing experimental equipment.

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Not long after, the Walters received a call from Garrison, a representative from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF). Based in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, CSBF oversees the launch, tracking, and recovery of high-altitude research balloons for NASA and other institutions.

NASA’s High-Altitude Balloon Program

According to local officials, the balloon carrying the probe had been launched a day earlier from Fort Sumner. It floated across Clovis and Portales, New Mexico, before descending into West Texas. Hayden’s father, Bryan, eventually spotted the large payload in an open field off a nearby farm-to-market road. With the property owners already present, Hayden dropped a pin location and contacted Garrison to guide the recovery crew. 

NASA’s high-altitude balloon program has been in operation for decades, providing scientists with an affordable way to test instruments and conduct research in near-space conditions. These unmanned balloons can soar up to 120,000 feet, or about 23 miles above the Earth. They are frequently used to study cosmic rays, astrophysics phenomena, and prototype instruments for future missions beyond Earth’s atmosphere. 

For the Walters, the surreal event was both surprising and thrilling. “I’m so glad that we saw this in the sky,” Amy told the Chronicle. “What a cool experience.” She later shared her amazement on Facebook, writing that NASA thanked her for reporting the landing while their team was still actively searching.

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