In a New Zealand first, three sub-orbital helium space weather balloons are being launched from near Tauranga from this weekend.

As the balloons prepare to take flight, there's a chance for the public to track them and guess where they land to be in to win one of three $100 Prezzie Cards thanks to local internet provider EOL.

The balloons are being launched as part of the global Spaceweather.com and Earth to Sky Calculus initiative that will see a group of visiting American science students, led by Dr. Tony Phillips, here from later this week to do cutting-edge research in the stratosphere.

They're teaming up with local students from Otumoetai, Bethlehem, Mount, Tauranga Girls and Tauranga Boys' Colleges along with Toi Ohomai to show them how to do the launches, conduct experiments and train them so that Tauranga can set up its own Earth to Sky Calculus initiative for future launches, says a spokesperson for the project.

The balloons will be launched, this Friday, Sunday and next Tuesday.

"Each launch is planned to commence around 9am. The balloons ascend to the edge of space to gather critical scientific data on earth's cosmic radiation environment, then the balloons pop and the payloads descend, landing somewhere in the Western Bay of Plenty region with 2.5 – 3 hours.

"The public are being invited to guess where the balloons land by dragging a pin on a Bay of Plenty map to where they think the balloon might land."

There will be a separate competition for each landing. To find out more and enter your projections for the balloon landings visit www.eol.co.nz