Slashdot Mirror
Space On a Shoestring
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.
There are houses and buildings all over the region where this was launched. It could have killed someone or at the very least caused property damage. Nobody would insure these guys. They're freaking dangerous.
you had me at #!
Its not very harmless if the parachute fails causing it to plummet 32km and take out a grandmother on her way to bingo.
liqbase