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."

Comments

It may not be just a joy ride...

[jdrogers]

I wouldn't discount this as a hairbrain idea from some thrill seekers. If you look at the cost of launching any payloads to that altitude, it makes the cost of specialized ballons look a lot better. I'm not sure what the use of getting people up there is, but as stated in the post, there isn't much atmosphere above you and hence not much turbulance, so things like short, month-long telescope missions and other scientific observation could be done much cheaper.

If I can dig up some links I've seen about this, I'll post.

Cheers,
JD

Use this as a launch vehicle???

[burtonator]

OK. Just some crazy thinking...

Did you guys see this picture:

http://www.qinetiq1.com/gfx/large_balloon.jpg

That is a HUGE balloon!

Now here is my thinking...

Remember the Hindenburg? (sp?)

What if this actually worked and on the next attempt they fill the balloon with Hydrogen?

If they built a special gandola which was a SMALL spacecraft, they could use the hydrogen from the balloon as fuel and possible exit the earths orbit.

Would this work? I don't have access to any of the math behind this so someone with experience could help.

... and we all know that everyone on Slashdot is a Rocket Scientist!

Re:Use this as a launch vehicle???

[quick_dry_3]

the amount of hydrogen in the ballon is very little when compared to the amount of hydrogen stored in liquid form in a rocket normally. Though you're higher, I can't heplp but feel that you wouldn't have enough fuel - maybe as a tiny supplement, but it still seems like it'd be like a drop in the ocean.

Weightless or not?

[rnicey]

I was wondering if at that height they'd be floating about with or without a balloon due to lack of gravity. This is from the site:

It is a popular myth that weightlessness is caused by the lack of gravity in space. In fact, the apparent weightlessness is a consequence of astronauts and their surroundings all moving together without resisting gravity. Satellites and spacecraft are still subject to gravity, but because they are moving fast enough horizontally, gravity pulls their path into a circle or orbit. The balloon itself will float with the wind and will travel at no more than 10-15 mph in an upward or downward direction. So the weight of the pilots will not be affected by the height they reach.

I can just about buy the bit about spacecraft, centrifugal forces or whatnot, but I'm still trying to figure out if they're trying to imply that these balloonists will have sea-level like weight at that height. Anyone?

Anyone know how 'high' you've got to get before you do float about because of a lack of gravity (oh my, what have I asked ;-)

Wired Article

[Josuah]

Terminal Velocity talks about Cheryl Stears (U.S.) and Rodd Millner (Australia) who are both going for a record skydiving attempt from 130,000 feet. It looks like QinetiQ is going for altitude. Millner and Stearns are going for altitude and extreme gravitational acceleration.

This chap got to 11,000 ft with toy balloons

[epeus]

Big Toy balloons I grant you, but still fun.

Re:Size matters

[peter hoffman]

I saw Echo 1a in 1960 although it was only 30.5 meters (100 feet) in diameter with a perigee/apogee of 966/2157 km. It was a ball of aluminized mylar (i.e., a balloon). Coincidentally, 600 miles is 966 km so I saw it from at least 600 miles away as I watched it nearly from horizon to horizon.

this won't work.......

[the_2nd_coming]

and I am sure some one else has explaind why but I am going to throw mine in also.

the helium will not be able to stay dense enough at higher altitudes to be able to give proper lift. there is a practicle limit on ballon travel.

breaking the sound barrier

[egomaniac]

I read about this elsewhere, and that little snippit unfortunately leaves out the interesting bit.

One of the points of this journey is to become the first people to break the sound barrier without a vehicle. Their top speed will be upwards of 900MPH on the way down, due to the vastly reduced air resistance. Seriously, think about creating a sonic boom with just your own body...