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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The high-altitude balloon that carried an instrument-laden capsule bursts 105,000 feet above Earth during a flight hosted by Rocket University participants. The bursting of the balloon allowed the capsule to free-fall to 50,000 feet and then deploy a parachute to land safely on the ground. The test flight was used to evaluate the stability of an instrumented capsule as it fell to Earth before its parachute opened. Rocket University is a program of courses, workshops, labs and projects offered to engineering and research pros of all stripes to keep their skills fresh and broaden their experiences. Photo credit: Courtesy of Rocket University The work is part of Transition and Retirement of the remaining space shuttles, Atlantis and Endeavour. Atlantis is being prepared for public display at Kennedy's Visitor Complex. Over the course of its 26-year career, Atlantis spent 293 days in space during 33 missions. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett