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Low Budget Air Space Photography

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the because-you-can dept.

An anonymous reader writes "With a budget of just 350 pounds, two British PhDs in engineering sent a balloon with cameras attached to a height of over 30 km." The photos and video are pretty amazing. Especially the very hi-tech styrofoam box.

15 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. heavy! by chihowa · · Score: 2, Funny

    With a budget of just 350 pounds...

    That's some heavy styrofoam!

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  2. Re:It's NOT SPACE by thomasdz · · Score: 5, Funny

    oh and by the way... Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny? NOT REAL!

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  3. Not bad, but not new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Neat video. Of course, amateur groups have been doing this for decades, so it's not really news:

    http://www.eoss.org/

    1. Re:Not bad, but not new by treeves · · Score: 2

      Music *composed* by an orchestra would indeed be an innovation. Heretofore, almost all music is composed by individuals or small groups (e.g. two or three people working together, usually one on the tune one on lyrics). Getting 80 to 100 people to work together to create a significant piece of music would be very interesting IMHO. It'd be tough though, since the violins would never stop playing, the brass and woodwinds would all try to give themselves some good solos, most would try to keep the percussion from being too noisy, etc.

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  4. Air clearance? by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 2

    Are people supposed to get air clearance before launching a balloon that passes through altitudes used by commercial aircraft. Just curious.

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    1. Re:Air clearance? by sznupi · · Score: 3, Informative

      Yes, you're supposed to coordinate the launch with local airspace authority (at least that's the way at my place...). Also, the payload should conform to certain requirements... (if it gets hit despite all the precautions, apparently)

      But generally, a very straightforward formality / folks dealing with it tended to be nice.

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    2. Re:Air clearance? by Migraineman · · Score: 4, Informative

      In the US, the FAA has rules for untethered balloons. If you're below certain size and material restrictions, you're good to go. Issuing a NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) is highly recommended, even if you're not required to file one. Demonstrates that you're being professional about your activities.

    3. Re:Air clearance? by fatboy · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Our group has never submitted a NOTAM, because we are exempt. I have audio recorded of a "near miss" with one of our group's balloons. Never saw the jet, but it sure sounded close. I think we will be filing NOTAMs from now on, even though we are not required to.

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      --fatboy
  5. Nothing to see here, float along... by the_other_chewey · · Score: 2

    "This video contains content from UMG. It is not available in your country."

  6. Future is here! by sergiy.gagarin · · Score: 2

    Or is it that my computer's clock is really off? Because it was done in December of 2011 according to the video in the article. Anyway this hardly is something new since there was this £500 launch this summer in fancy orange styrofoam http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1288688/The-incredible-pictures-edge-space--taken-30-digital-camera-attached-balloon.html and even this 150$ launch from September 2009 and subsequent Project Icarus http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/09/the-150-space-camera-mit-students-beat-nasa-on-beer-money-budget/

  7. Re:has been done dozens of times now by louic · · Score: 2

    It isn't newsworthy

    This is about the 10th comment I read about the article not being original. Should be modded +1 funny for the irony of it. If you are criticising an article for not being original, what about the comments?

  8. Re:Would not be legal in the USA by Archon-X · · Score: 2

    Hey!
    You're that guy I'm always 'lucky' enough to bump into at parties.
    I remember you saying you were part of some club, was it the TIA (Totally Irrelevant Anecdotes) or CBHFO (Can't be happy for others) ?

    Please don't let me know, thanks.

  9. Re:Good example by cvtan · · Score: 2

    Sorry, but Duck tape is a brand name for a type of duct tape.

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  10. Re:swinging and spinning by sznupi · · Score: 2

    Using long tether helps a bit... or an aerodynamic 'brake'/ribbon while going up. But generally: good question, for something so dainty, and with such weight constraints.

    In my occasional toying in this area I might even one day try a variant of Picavet suspension, or segmented tether made from partly-rigid segments of unequal length (to get in the way of clean or even self-exciting oscillations), just to mention two (quite possibly ineffective) ideas (plus especially the second might have problems with regulations at my place, the tether can't be too strong; and both possibly getting in the way of required recovery mechanism)

    Or one day I'll just have enough cash for disposable fish-eye lenses...

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  11. Re:It's NOT SPACE by Unkyjar · · Score: 2

    350 lb. payload? *giggles* You realize they meant 350 English pounds, as in the cost of the project, not the weight of it?