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Nevada Museum of Art to launch $1.5M space balloon

Nevada Museum of Art to launch $1.5M space balloon
Posted at 4:36 PM, Nov 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-17 19:36:25-05

The Nevada Museum of Art is ready to launch a $1.5 million diamond-shaped balloon into space.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that the project will be deployed Monday. The museum's "Orbital Reflector" project is being billed as a sculpture.

It's the idea of Berlin-based artist Trevor Paglen.

The 100-foot-long sculpture will be stuffed in a package attached to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will launch from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The sculpture that self-inflates as a balloon will burst from the package and remain in orbit for about 60 days before it burns. It will look like a sparkle to the naked eye at night.

The newspaper reports the project has been criticized by some scientists, who have deemed it obnoxious and a blemish on the night sky.