Taking Linux to New Heights

JimDog writes "Literally. I've created a web site documenting the construction and launch of a high altitude 'weather' balloon, with a payload that runs Linux. The project was a great success, reached an altitude of 80,000 feet, and took some really amazing aerial photos."

Comments

Re:not to troll, but ...

[SoCalChris]

The point isn't that it is running Linux, the point is that he made a really cool project that floated to 80,000 feet and took pictures, AND he got the whole thing back to retrieve the pictures. To me that is awfully impressive. The fact that it runs Linux was just one cool part of the project.

Thanks

[Andorion]

Thanks for the (good) advice - I promise to follow it next time. I haven't been posting to /. that long, not quite caught up on the etiquette. It still bothers me that some uptight jackass feels the need to shout 'yuo is a karma whore' instead of suggesting proper technique, as you did. Bleh.

-Berj

Re:Old News

[jmb-d]

Sorry, but you've been beaten by a few years and several hundred miles. Linux has already been in orbit aboard the space shuttle several times.

But the debian gang didn't build their own shuttle, now did they?

Lets add it up

[MarkGriz]

Soekris Engineering net4511 board - $200.
Garmin GPS-35-HVS - $180,
Basic Stamp 1 module and carrier board - $34 and $15
Kantronics KPC-3+ TNC - $180
Yaesu VX-1R handheld transceiver - $130
3Com HomeConnect webcam - $70
Aiptek Pencam Trio VGA camera - $49
Kaymont 1500 gram sounding balloon - $60
Getting on the front page of Slashdot - Priceless

Damn, I wish could be unemployed AND have an extra $918 to blow "just for fun"

Actually, this is kinda cool.

[RayBender]

Shame, people. The comments so far have seemed to be limited to "Big deal. And he spent $1000. And his server got /. ed".

Think about it. He built an autonomous system that went almost to the edge of space, recorded images and temperature data, and came back. I can think of a bunch of simple, fun, experiments one could do. Cosmic rays, UV astronomy, ozone measurements, etc etc.

If he flies that thing again, I'd like to help out.

Re:Actually, this is kinda cool.

[theCat]

It's more than a little cool. Just 20 years ago something this technically sophisticated would have sounded impossible. Heck 20 years ago it might have cost NASA $500K, taken 2 years to develop, had half the features, and suffered a systems failure 17 seconds after launch.

We're jaded. We have no real sense of the size of things anymore. Rocket Guy is still talking about launching himself 30 miles straight up in a home-made rocket. Let's hope he does and he survives. But I'll predict now that the day after the event everyone here will shrug, bitch about his web server being /.ed, and say "it's been done before."

It�s not just the project�

[6]

Sure it's a cool geeky project and the pics and all are wonderful.

The impressive thing though is the way he has written it up and presented it in a clear concise readable style. An example to geeks everywhere that there is more to a project than just the tech. Equally important is being able to present the results of your creativity to others, both geek and mundane, in such a way that captures their imaginations and allows you to bring them into the excitement of your world.

This was a cool hack and very well done

[G Samsonoff]

While I agree that $900 is a little expensive, I think this guy did a great job. This is the type of story I'd like to see a lot more of on Slashdot, somebody showing real ingenuity and imagination...and no laws were broken!