NASA-International Space Station

NASA administrators and international scientists are arriving in Alice Springs to assist launch balloons the size of football fields into the stratosphere.

The giant plastic balloons, which can drift at altitudes of up to 40 kilometers, hold germanium detectors, rare telescopes that collect data on x-rays and gamma rays. The telescopes weigh two to three tonnes and cost between $5 million and $10 million.

Over the next week, expert staff and instruments will travel to Alice Springs to begin preparation for the launches, which will happen next month from Runway 17 at the Alice Springs Airport.