Balloon boy’s family obsessed with science

The family of a 6-year-old boy who is believed to have taken off Thursday in an experimental balloon has a heavy interest in science, with members sleeping in their clothes so they can chase after storms, media reports say.

Details emerged about Falcon Heene's family as authorities searched for the boy, who is believed to have floated away from his yard in Fort Collins, Colo. The balloon came down hours later, but the boy was not inside it.

The Heene family took part in the ABC reality show “Wife Swap" last year and earlier this year. The network described the family as alien buffs obsessed with science and UFOs.

"When the Heene family aren't chasing storms, they devote their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm," according to ABC's description of the episode profiling the family. "The family sleeps in their clothes so they can leap out of bed and into the storm-mobile."

The boy's family had been building the experimental balloon at their home. The helium balloon, which resembled a flying saucer, was approximately 20 feet by 5 feet and had a foil top.

The balloon lifted away after the boy was seen climbing inside, setting off a frantic scramble by the military and law enforcement agencies before the balloon slowly touched down in a field.

The child's fate was unclear, and there was no sign of him in the balloon when it landed. Authorities feverishly searched for any sign of the child on the ground, including in the neighborhood where he lives.