Why? Well, scientists wanted to demonstrate how space weather impacts on satellites. The balls were meant to simulate the stream of electron radiation onto the delicate spacecraft. The event that happened at the Utah State University Romney Football Stadium parking lot, Thursday afternoon, drew in thousands of spectators.
Initial plans were to drop the balls from the library’s fourth floor window but that didn’t happen, instead, Doug Ball and Michael Stewart hatched the helicopter plan, and executed it.
The whole event wasn’t really an experiment, as it was more of a demonstration, and obviously, the main winners (thank you Charlie Sheen) of this event were the children, who collected free bouncy balls dropped from a helicopter.
Yes, one of the organizer’s is named Doug Ball and yes, local authorities are probably pleased his name is not something like Doug Watermelon.
It could’ve been worse; Mr. Ball’s last name could’ve been “Mr. Live-Turkey.”