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This is about the coolest thing I have ever seen. I know I’ve said that before, but it’s a graduating scale — and this made my geek-self tingle and grin like a fool!
Father and son Luke and Max Geissbühler, from out Brooklyn way, popped an iPhone and an HD camcorder into a polystyrene container, wrapped it up in hand warmers to keep it alive in the upper stratosphere, attached it to a giant helium balloon and let it fly. Lack of atmospheric pressure causes the balloon to grow and burst, and the camera was on all the way up. It took a good look at the Earth from the outside, and then stayed on for most of the trip down — a plummet, really, at about 150mph even with its parachute. The iPhone got a GPS lock on the way down and was used to locate the “payload”.
The video footage is amazing and of incredible quality, especially for a civilian effort. The video is only a few minutes long — watch it. It’s awesome!
I think I may do this with my kid someday.
Homemade Spacecraft [Make Magazine]
Marlon @ productivity bits says:
I hope to be able to launch an “experiment” like this! But it might be a little too expensive!
October 7, 2010 — 4:15 am
Evan Kline says:
That was my worry . . . I’d need to buy another phone for this. Looks very cool, though. Good thing it didn’t take out a skydiver or something during its 150 MPH descent.
October 7, 2010 — 9:32 am
Bobby Travis says:
Heh — Way to “Glass half-full” Evan… :P
And I agree, Marlon, it may be a bit pricey at the moment. Possibly not so much by the time I would be doing it though. I have a few years before my daughter will care.
October 7, 2010 — 10:02 am
Kosmo @ The Soap Boxers says:
Couldn’t they just put the kid in the weather balloon and have him take pictures.
Or maybe not do that and say they did?
Oh. I guess that wouldn’t be very original :)
October 7, 2010 — 12:50 pm
Bobby Travis says:
Heh — You’re right, it’s been done.
October 7, 2010 — 7:42 pm
Anthony Russo says:
Agreed that this is an incredibly cool thing for a father to do with his son and all that were involved. I only hope the kids will realize this coolness and “bonding” of this when they grow up, but judging from their dad, I think they will.
Anthony
October 7, 2010 — 1:13 pm
Bobby Travis says:
They do seem likely to have other cool things in their future.
October 7, 2010 — 7:43 pm
flippertie says:
And I thought doing bottle rockets was cool :-/
October 18, 2010 — 4:21 am
Bobby Travis says:
I think they -are- still cool! This is a bit of another level though, eh? :D
October 18, 2010 — 2:23 pm