A West Texas family discovered NASA research equipment on their Hale County farm after strong winds pushed it off its intended path. Ann Vincent Walter’s son Hayden first spotted what appeared to be a weather balloon with a parachute over their property north of Lubbock. When the object landed, the family found mysterious equipment attached to the parachute and contacted the Hale County Sheriff’s Office. A NASA researcher explained the device was launched from Fort Sumner, New Mexico by the Columbia Scientific Balloon Team for telescope accuracy experiments but was blown off course. Walter called her workplace to arrive late while researchers retrieved their equipment. “They gladly let me go so I could see the equipment and experience this once-in-a-lifetime situation,” Walter wrote in a Facebook post. “What a cool memory and experience.” (Story URL)
