Pico Balloon K9YO had circumnavigated the world a 4th time on December 6th 2022. The NOAA Hysplit model showed K9YO traveling northwest, north of Alaska around December 10th. Another NOAA model was taken and showed K9YO traveling east around the North Pole. If that direction and location is correct, we won’t be hearing from Pico Balloon K9YO until it heads back south. Until then, we’re calling K9YO, Missing in Action.

Pico Balloon KD9UQB which was launched from Neumayer Station III, Antarctica had been traveling east, made a detour southwest to the South Pole and northwest towards the Southern Ocean.

Pico Balloon KD9UQB is south of the Day/Night Change Line and still transmitting. Below is from December 11th 2022 Grid HB62SS at 21:32 UTC flying for 17 days and 14 hours at an altitude of 10,600 meters, 34,768 feet.

We’re expecting Pico Balloon KD9UQB will make a 2nd Circumnavigation around December 13th.

Best Guess for KD9UQB on December 15th, 06:00 UTC

Our Locate and Track page has been updated for the 84 hour NOAA Hysplit Model, Ventusky for wind speed and direction, APRS and Sonehub for Pico Balloon KD9UQB and all Pico Balloons in flight around the world.

We will report when we hear from Pico Balloon K9YO or AA6DY. The WSPR Spot Database always reports current reports for all our balloons.

We would like to recognize, Hisami Dejima, 7L4IOU an NIBBB Follower, who wrote an article for CQ Ham Radio Magazine, Japan, November 2022 Edition. This article is on the flight of AA6DY flying over Japan, transmitting on WSPR mode, the NIBBB project and our success with the 32″ Sphere balloon from Yokohama Balloon, Yokohama, Japan.

Below is a 2 page slide show of the cover page and article from CQ Ham Radio Magazine with QR codes linking to the NIBBB website and Yokohama Balloons.

Our Technical Page has information on tracking our balloons, calculating the altitude, where to get the balloons, and a slide show on the launch of Pico Balloon AA6DY on September 3rd 2022.

73, Cary KD9ITO