Overview
- NASA sent the official 2026 World Cup match ball, Trionda, to the International Space Station and the crew recreated a 2019 microgravity experiment on June 20–21 to observe how balance affects motion.
- The tests compared well-balanced and poorly balanced balls in weightlessness so researchers could isolate how internal mass distribution alters spin, drift and stability.
- Trionda features a four-panel construction, deep seams and embossed textures intended to improve flight stability and grip while a built-in 500Hz motion sensor transmits movement data for use by VAR systems.
- The ball used in the ISS tests was manufactured in Sialkot, Pakistan, highlighting the global supply chain behind major tournament equipment.
- NASA framed the activity as a STEM demonstration and said the results deepen understanding of how embedded electronics change ball behaviour, knowledge that also informs flight dynamics for satellites and other free-flying objects.