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Domain: qinetiq1.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to qinetiq1.com.
Stories · 3
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Balloonists Attempt World Altitude Record
ACey writes "BBC News is reporting on the latest attempt to break the balloon altitude world record. Qinetiq 1 is scheduled to launch tomorrow, 2nd September 2003, from the coast of Cornwall, UK, and aims to reach 132,000 feet or 25 miles in a flight that could last 12 hours. The balloon is so big (1,250 feet tall) that it should be visible from most of the UK, Ireland and Western France as it climbs. Good luck to them!" -
Balloonists Prepare For Another Altitude Record Attempt
EyesWideOpen writes "Determined to break the current altitude record of 34,747 metres (114,000 ft) Colin Prescot and Andy Elson will try again this year to take a giant envelope to a height in excess of 40,000 metres (130,000 feet). The balloonists have made previous attempts at the record and are hoping to use what has been learned so far, as well as a wider zone in which their QinetiQ 1 balloon can fly off southwest England, to be successful this year. To perform radiation and micrometeoroid experiments Prescot will try to fly a solar-powered propeller-driven plane (with a mounted camera) in the stratosphere. June to September is the proposed launch window." -
Ballooning into Space
flyboy writes: "Two ballooners are going to attempt to get to 132,000 feet in a helium balloon named QinetiQ1. They are going to do this wearing spacesuits and sit in what looks like armchairs in an open gondola. From that altitude the sky is black and you look down on whole countries in one go. It looks like they might actually do it as well, since they have some serious backing, they are sponsored and supported by the former DERA, who have lots of experience in all things aeronautic."