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Space On a Shoestring

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hey-gang-let's-build-a-rocketship dept.

An anonymous reader writes, "Three engineering students from Cambridge University plan to send an unmanned craft into space for £1,000 ($1,880) and have just sent a test mission up 32 km for a lot less. Their snaps from the upper atmosphere are impressive, and were taken by a balloon equipped with off-the-shelf technology including GSM text messaging, radio communications, and an ordinary 5-megapixel camera. They now plan to use a similar craft as a launching stage to get a cheap rocket into space." There's also a video of the balloon launch.

19 of 257 comments (clear)

  1. Moo by Chacham · · Score: 5, Funny

    Picture this, soon their balooning costs will skyrocket to reach even greater heights.

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    1. Re:Moo by gfody · · Score: 3, Funny

      that direct link to a 56mb file (for 17 seconds of footage!) will be the most expensive part of the project

      --

      bite my glorious golden ass.
    2. Re:Moo by another_henry · · Score: 2, Funny

      Exactly. Apparently if the Bomb Squad etc find a mysterious object with a phone number on it they will always call the phone number before blowing it up.

      --
      "Studies have shown that people who eat peanuts live longer than those who do not eat."
    3. Re:Moo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      A bit of a bugger if the number in question triggers the detonator.

    4. Re:Moo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      oh yeah? what if someone looks up and takes it right in the eye? WHAT THEN MR. FANCY PANTS.

      i'm just joking. if this thing somehow manages to peg someone in the eye, they *should* get pegged in the eye, if only because it's so statistically unlikely that the mere act of it happening is a bit of a miracle. and absolutely hilarious, too.

    5. Re:Moo by another_henry · · Score: 4, Funny

      Someone did have the hilarious idea of putting a bike helmet on the bottom, open side downwards.

      --
      "Studies have shown that people who eat peanuts live longer than those who do not eat."
    6. Re:Moo by AKAImBatman · · Score: 2, Funny
      I like the message on the side of the electronics. "Harmless Scientific experiment...".

      Which, after years of research into improving the message, has been changed to "Mostly Harmless Scientific experiment...".
      --
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    7. Re:Moo by modecx · · Score: 2, Funny

      Agreed. But still: Why would it stop acceleration when it has reached its that value? In other words: how is its terminal velocity calculated?

      We, the Grand High Council of Geekhood, And All Things Otherwise Geeky, hereby move to revoke your Geek License. Please turn in your pocket protector and your graphing calculator as you exit this site, and don't let the </html> hit you in the ass.

      And have a Nice Day.

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  2. Are we sure... by Vermyndax · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...that this isn't the mystery object NASA spotted today?

  3. Re: GSM text messaging by brandonY · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm sure the phones will work at more or less any height - the higher the better.

    Not to be a sarcastic, literal-taking idiot, but I bet if I were, say, 0.5 AU high, my phone wouldn't work. Heck, I bet the lousy thing wouldn't even work from the moon's surface, especially if I was in a tunnel.

  4. Uh, no... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Three engineering students from Cambridge University plan to send an unmanned craft into space for £1,000 ($1,880)...

    So they're sending a high-end Dell laptop into space? It's been awhile since something blew up on the way into space.

  5. Re:Something else on a shoestring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Space on a shoestring could be fun [...] How about [...] a free trip to Israel.

    Wait, are Israelis allowed to spam? Spam's a pork product, you know. This can't be kosher.

  6. Re: GSM text messaging while flying by Gordonjcp · · Score: 4, Funny

    When I tried it from a motor glider in a fairly remote area (few cells, large areas) I got a snotty letter from Orange saying that roaming at 50kts between very non-adjacent cells made their network shit itself. I wish I'd kept the letter...

  7. Hmmm by PeDRoRist · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe that's a turban legend.

    Sorry.

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  8. Re:Mobile Number by another_henry · · Score: 2, Funny

    Carl already gets woken up around 6:30am most days by pilots calling the number they've seen on the NOTAM. "Are you launching in the next half hour?" "No I'm in bed, leave me alone"

    --
    "Studies have shown that people who eat peanuts live longer than those who do not eat."
  9. Re: GSM text messaging while flying by meringuoid · · Score: 2, Funny
    When I tried it from a motor glider in a fairly remote area (few cells, large areas) I got a snotty letter from Orange saying that roaming at 50kts between very non-adjacent cells made their network shit itself. I wish I'd kept the letter...

    1) Get an untraceable PAYG mobile
    2) Load it onto a remote-controlled plane
    3) Fly it around over central London at lunchtime
    4) ???
    5) Try to explain to Hastur and Ligur exactly how this constitutes
    6) Profit!

    --
    Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  10. Re:Very cool hobby... by emamousette · · Score: 5, Funny

    Slashdot readers are an endangered species?

  11. Re: GSM text messaging by AsnFkr · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, to be fair Flight 93 was pretty close to the ground compared to your average flight.

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    adventure-today.com
  12. Re:Very cool hobby... by intangible · · Score: 2, Funny

    And I'm sure she looks like a weather-balloon too.

    Sorry bub, already fell for that one enough times.