Incredible Experiment Reaches The Stratosphere

Using a $77 Nikon Coolpix and a $60 latex balloon filled with helium, a team of Spanish teenage scientists captured these remarkable shots from 20 miles above the Earth’s surface.

Preparing the camera, a Nikon Coolpix L10, for the flight and automated picture-taking.

The Nikon camera, now wrapped in a lightweight protective foam shell.

Very early on the morning of launch, readying the receiving stations which will track the progress and status of the probe.

Last-minute adjustments made to cords on the probe right before launch.

Inflating the latex balloon with helium, the longest part of the launch preparation, using 75% of the helium from the container at right.

One of the first photos from the flight, of farmland in the town of Bujaraloz, Spain.

Proving that you don’t need Google’s billions or the BBC weather centre’s resources, the four Spanish students managed to send their camera-operated weather balloon into the stratosphere.

The students were able to recover the package that landed about 6 miles from the launch site., but it was only after they tentatively extracted the SD card sitting safely inside that they discovered the fantastic fruits of their labor.

The probe, as it was discovered by the team, right next to a path.
They quickly removed the camera’s SD card to discover the photos above.

This is the moment just after the probe back and have noticed that everything had gone well.
Teacher – Jordi Fanals Oriol and students – Gerard Marull Paretas, Marta Gasull Morcillo, Jaume Puigmiquel Casamort and Sergi Saballs Vila.

Team leader Gerard Marull, 18, said: “We were overwhelmed at our results, especially the photographs, to send our handmade craft to the edge of space is incredible.”

Official Project Site: Meteotek08 / All the Pictures on: Flickr

Read Full Article: Telegraph

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