The Idea and Why I Did It
So I saw YouTube videos of balloons hitting near-space and thought: “Heck, I can do that too!” Ordered a “starter kit” online – basically just a giant balloon, cheap action cam, and some string. Total cost around $80. Felt like bargain space travel honestly.
Gathering the Junk
First, raided my garage for supplies. Used:
- A Styrofoam beer cooler as the payload box
- Hand warmers taped to the camera (for battery warmth)
- My kid’s old GPS tracker watch
- A plastic supermarket bag as parachute (yep, seriously)
- Helium tank from party store
Duct-taped everything together like a mad scientist. Weighed it with my kitchen scale – 1.2kg total.
Launch Day Chaos
Dragged my buddy Dave to an empty field at dawn. Wind was nuts. Almost lost the balloon while filling it – it whipped around like an angry snake. Tied knots with frozen fingers while Dave filmed for his TikTok. Took 40 minutes just to get enough helium in.
Letting Her Go
We counted down and released it. Big mistake: Forgot to seal the payload box properly. Saw a dangling USB cable flapping out immediately. Dave yelled “Your camera’s gonna freeze!” but it was already floating away. Felt like watching my money fly into oblivion.
Tracking Nightmare
Spent hours driving country roads tracking the GPS signal. Reception died near hills. We stopped at a gas station, bought sketchy hot dogs, and nearly gave up when suddenly… beep beep! Found it hanging from a church steeple. Had to bribe the janitor with $20 to fetch it.
What Actually Worked
Surprise: The plastic bag parachute worked! Camera filmed 18 minutes of wobbly blue-to-black space views before freezing. Altitude data showed 91,000 feet – higher than commercial jets! Grainy footage showed Earth’s curve though. Felt like a genius for five whole minutes.
Epic Fails
- Hand warmers lasted only 30 minutes
- Condensation fried my GoPro (RIP)
- Forgot to insulate batteries
- Lost radio contact for 3 terrifying hours
Total recovery distance: 52 miles. Dave still owes me gas money.
Would I Do It Again?
Absolutely. Next time I’ll use hand warmers AND chemical heaters, triple-seal the box, and pick a less windy day. Or maybe strap Dave to the balloon instead. Cheaper than SpaceX anyway.