Balloon Launch: High Altitude Balloon Game
A free retro near-space balloon game. Go up, come down, find a field.
How to play
- Each run is three balloons. In the ascent, steer with the arrows or A and D, or drag. Dodge birds and airliners, using the ADS-B radar at the bottom left to see traffic ahead.
- Grab telemetry for 10 points and batteries to top up power. Cold temperatures drain the battery. The jet stream pushes you sideways, and the higher you go, the more it shoves.
- The balloon bursts at a secret altitude between 90,000 and 110,000 feet. Press C or cut down to bank your altitude safely. A burst costs you 40 percent of your bank.
- In the descent, steer left and right and hold up, space or flare to slow your parachute. Wind layers push you. Land at under 12 feet per second.
- Fields pay times 1, corn times 2, a dirt pad times 5 and a barn roof times 3. Trees, lakes and power lines lose the payload for half points. P pauses and M mutes.
Why balloons are real
Amateur radio and science groups really do launch weather balloons carrying small payloads to the stratosphere. They are required to avoid air traffic, and many payloads carry trackers.
Balloons climb through the weather and reach altitudes above 100,000 feet before they burst, where the sky looks black and the horizon is curved. In the United States, unmanned balloons are covered by 14 CFR Part 101, so check it before you plan a real launch.
Learn more about how ADS-B works.
Questions pilots ask
How high can a weather balloon go?
Latex weather balloons typically burst somewhere between 90,000 and 120,000 feet, depending on size and payload.
What is the best strategy?
Bank a high altitude, but cut down before the secret burst altitude. Then pick a high-value landing spot like the dirt pad or a barn roof.
What is the near-space club?
It is the leaderboard in the game, a list of the best balloon pilots.
Is this game free?
Yes. It runs in your browser, with a daily challenge that gives everyone the same winds.
More games
- SQUAWK 1200, an airplane side-scroller
- Tower Hunt, ADS-B ground stations
- Lightning Command, a weather-defense game
- Pattern Work, a landing game
- All of Stratux Arcade