USS Redskins Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Saw this on ABC the other night and thought it was a cool story. This English inventor bought a used digital camera on Ebay, a weather balloon and literally duct taped it all together and releases the contraption into the sky... It snaps pictures until the balloon reaches about 20 miles high and pops... a parachute spares the camera destruction and it falls back to Earth. He uses a GPS tracking device to find it - usually ending up in a farmers field. The pictures were pretty awesome. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/balloon-camera-duct-tape-shoot-earth-pictures-space/story?id=10210658 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 How is it possible that it falls back to earth and lands in the English countryside where it was launched? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 either this is a copy-cat or old news. I remember this being done a little while ago, but I thought it involved college kids or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 either this is a copy-cat or old news. I remember this being done a little while ago, but I thought it involved college kids or something. I thought some kids from MIT did this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USS Redskins Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 In the article he mentions that one of his missions will likely end up in the ocean... I guess he has been pretty lucky so far. I just love that he uses duct tape to keep it all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 How is it possible that it falls back to earth and lands in the English countryside where it was launched? I saw the thing on TV about this. Apparently the device had a parachute that deployed after the balloon popped and it also had a locator on it so that it could be found again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins4Life6388 Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 that is really really cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostofSparta Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I saw the thing on TV about this. Apparently the device had a parachute that deployed after the balloon popped and it also had a locator on it so that it could be found again. I think zoony's asking how this thing could go that high up into the atmosphere, fall all the way back to earth with a parachute, and somehow land in the same tiny country that it took off from. And I'm with him, that's an amazing feat to accomplish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjah Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Lots of people have been doing this lately, including these MIT kids who have already worked out ways to do it as cheaply as possible and then created a guide for others to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 How is it possible that it falls back to earth and lands in the English countryside where it was launched? Duh ... you use a handy Balloon Trajectory Forecast website. http://weather.uwyo.edu/polar/balloon_traj.html Depending on how much gas you put in the balloon and payload weight you'll get different rates of ascent - the trip back down is faster. Allowing for ascent and descent time and "only" going up 20 miles, it may only be airborne for four - five hours so unless there are very strong winds (avoiding the jet stream would be a good idea) with a little planning you should be able to keep it out of the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Rich Fla Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 How is it possible that it falls back to earth and lands in the English countryside where it was launched? I was wondering the same thing. You'd think that thing would be hundreds if not thousands of miles away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Hey. You all want to keep it down? I'm busy. :mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 all fun and games up until the point that parachute fails and his camera lands on someones Lexus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Duh ... you use a handy Balloon Trajectory Forecast website.http://weather.uwyo.edu/polar/balloon_traj.html Depending on how much gas you put in the balloon and payload weight you'll get different rates of ascent - the trip back down is faster. Allowing for ascent and descent time and "only" going up 20 miles, it may only be airborne for four - five hours so unless there are very strong winds (avoiding the jet stream would be a good idea) with a little planning you should be able to keep it out of the water. Wow- cool. Thanks all fun and games up until the point that parachute fails and his camera lands on someones Lexus. Yah why do I get the feeling that there is a guy named Cletus rigging up a contraption right now with a camera, duct tape, and $5000 worth of bottle rockets? :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 all fun and games up until the point that parachute fails and his camera lands on someones Lexus. That just makes you a bigger hero on youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideshow24 Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Wow- cool. ThanksYah why do I get the feeling that there is a guy named Cletus rigging up a contraption right now with a camera, duct tape, and $5000 worth of bottle rockets? :doh: Where does a Cletus get $5k? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Where does a Cletus get $5k? his restored '65 mustang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HailYeah Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 How did the thing not freeze? Isn't it like -150 degrees up there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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