Slashdot Mirror

sure, its available here

but since that will get swamped, here's some cool details:

British summer holds the key as QinetiQ 1 balloon pilots prepare to fly to the edge of space
UK balloon pilots Andy Elson and Colin Prescot are now looking for an opportunity to launch their manned helium balloon, QinetiQ 1, on a clear calm day between end-July and mid-September 2003. In particular, the high winds of the jetstream need to be benign for a successful mission. The pilots aim to break the 40-year-old, US-held world altitude record for a manned balloon by ascending to 132,000ft (25 miles).

Sponsored in their attempt by QinetiQ, Europe's leading science and technology research organisation, the pilots are working closely with the Met Office. They are monitoring mission-critical advanced metrological data, in particular stratospheric conditions, as wind direction is critical for the balloon's trajectory.

Mission Control Director, Brian Jones commented: "The QinetiQ 1 team is set for launch and is now just waiting for the right weather to go. A sea launch is crucial to the success of the mission and North Cornwall offers us an ideal venue, with QinetiQ's own trimaran ship, RV Triton, providing the launch platform. The St Ives bay offers sheltered anchorage for RV Triton during the pre-flight preparations."

When the conditions are suitable, the pilots will announce a 72-hour countdown to the launch of the world's largest manned balloon, setting off from the North Cornish coast on its journey to the edge of space.

The QinetiQ 1 flight will last around 9-12 hours. The launch crew and pilots will start filling the balloon with helium in the early hours of launch day. The 1.6 tonnes of polyethylene material that make up the balloon's envelope takes about two hours to fill and, at launch, will stand upright at a massive height of 1,250 ft - seven times as tall as Nelson's Column, or the height of The Empire State Building. The balloon will rapidly ascend to 85,000 feet, after which it will slow down to a more gradual pace.

People within a 600-mile diameter footprint beneath the flight, should get a glimpse of the enormous balloon rising up into the sky. This means that the UK and much of France should be able to view the flight with the naked eye, as well as being able to see live TV images from on board QinetiQ 1.

At target altitude, the pilots will carry out a series of experiments and collect more information about an area of the stratosphere dubbed the 'Ignorosphere' due to the lack of recorded scientific data on the region.

It is at this point that Zephyr 3, a revolutionary unmanned solar plane designed by QinetiQ scientists and controlled by the balloon pilots from onboard QinetiQ 1, will beam back the amazing pictures of the voyage to mission control. Once the flight data has been captured the pilots will begin their descent, which should take three to four hours, before controlled 'splashdown' into the Atlantic.

after seeing hot grits like this, I'm now convicing my wife that I should go high-altitude balooning asap. If only I could explain the mandatory difference in male and female costumes

The countdown to the launch of the QinetiQ1 balloon altitude record has just started. Early on Tuesday a balloon the size of the Empire State Building will take off from the back of a trimaran warship, carrying a ultra high altitude UAV to fly and take its picture on the edge of space.

News: Check, they've been waiting on the right weather for two years
Nerds: Check, this is real science and technology
Rejected: Check, a slow news day eh?

And then we get a story like this ???

Too right I'm pissed

Why not change the tagline to "Funny Stuff and a Bit of Linux" - it'd be more accurate.

The website for the attempt is at QinetiQ 1

Its worthwhile noting that they will launch from the back of a trimaran warship research vessel, and will be observed from the highest flying powered, tethered UAV ever.

So it will demonstrate a whole slew of new technologies, real Slashdot stuff.

If everything comes off, this will be a very public, practical usage of high altitude UAV, taking pictures of a record breaking high altitude balloon, taking off from a triple hulled ship.

Nothing like three birds with one stone.

"We are aiming to reach the edge of space in an attempt to break the world record for the highest manned balloon flight"

Andy Elson, at least, is very much an engineer

What I'd really like to see is one of these guys try and break Joe Kittinger's parachute jump record (102,500 feet). The film of him jumping off that balloon was wild.

Official website link

The mov file is about 11.1Mb and a little large for dial up guys. Go here for Real Media versions weighing in between 159 to 704 KB.

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By the look of those chairs they're sitting in, I think they're actually just researching whether you can still get the soccer on satellite TV at 132,000ft. The world's highest couch potatoes.

I wonder what would happen to their tinnies at 1% atmospheric pressure - that would be some really fizzy beer.