Use zero-relative-velocity mass shedding: the released sand initially shares the balloon's vertical velocity, rather than being actively ejected. Let and let a positive mass be shed in a short interval . The momentum of the balloon and that newly released sand changes by
The leading external impulse is . Newton's second law applied to this combined material system therefore gives
Writing for the remaining balloon alone would omit the outgoing momentum flux. A nonzero relative ejection velocity would instead produce a rocket equation thrust term.
Initial mechanical equilibrium gives . Write , so up to depletion. Then
Integrating from rest,
Since and , the final upward speed is
The acceleration is nonnegative throughout release, consistent with the upward motion.