Phyllis Graber Jensen Published on May 21, 2021 On a fine recent May morning, a meticulously prepared weather balloon headed skyward from Garcelon Field. But as the balloon lifted off, its payload of scientific equipment went unlifted, instead staying firm on terra firma. During the High Altitude Ballooning Club’s launch on May 15, Jackson Donahue ’22 of Princeton, N.J, and Christopher Barker ’21 of Burlington, Vt., evaluate their balloon’s buoyancy after filling it with helium. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College) Whether it’s a fiery SpaceX Starship crash in Texas, or a weather balloon taking off without its payload, the scene seems to have failure written all over it.