Okay, so I got this crazy idea the other day – I wanted to see what it was like to launch a weather balloon. I’ve seen those cool high-altitude pictures online, and I figured, why not give it a shot? So I started digging around, reading up on what I needed.
Getting Started
First things first, I needed a balloon. I found a place online that sells them – not too expensive, thankfully. They’re these big, white, stretchy things. I also needed helium. Found that at a party supply store, surprisingly.
Then came the payload. I used a lightweight styrofoam box to hold everything. Inside, I put:
- An old smartphone: to take pictures and track the balloon’s location using GPS.
- A small action camera: for video.
- A couple of hand warmers: to try to keep things from freezing up at high altitude.
I taped everything down securely inside the box. Gotta make sure it survives the trip!
The Launch
I picked a clear, calm day. Went out to a big, open field, far away from any power lines or trees. Filling up the balloon was a bit trickier than I expected. That thing got HUGE! And it kept wanting to float away while I was still fiddling with it. Finally got it all tied up, attached the payload box with some strong twine, and let ‘er rip.
It shot up pretty fast! I could see it getting smaller and smaller, and eventually, it was just a tiny white speck against the blue. The smartphone app was showing me its location, which was pretty cool. It was drifting pretty far, pretty fast.
Tracking and Recovery
The whole flight lasted about two and a half hours. I kept an eye on the GPS tracking, and once it started coming down, I hopped in my car and started driving towards the predicted landing zone. It landed in some farmer’s field, maybe 30 miles away, and I had permission from the owner before for retrieval.
Found the box, the balloon was ripped to shreds, but everything inside was intact! I was so relieved.
The Results
I plug my smartphone and action cam to my old laptop. Unbelievable! The pictures and videos were amazing! I got some incredible shots of the curve of the Earth, the blackness of space…it was truly awesome. The hand warmers seemed to have done their job; everything kept working the whole time.
Overall, it was a super fun project. Took some planning and a bit of luck, but seeing those images made it all worthwhile. I’d definitely recommend giving it a try if you’re into this kind of thing!