So, I wanted to mess around with a weather balloon. I started looking into how much these things cost.
First, I searched for where to buy them. I found some places online that sell high-quality latex weather balloons. They said their balloons are made by some company called “PAWAN” and are super stretchy. Each balloon is inflated and inspected, so they say.
Then, I tried to find out the price. It’s all over the place! Some folks online said it can be anywhere from eighty bucks to way more. It depends on where you get it and if you can find a good deal. Apparently, the price changes a lot, too.
I read that these balloons are used to carry equipment up to the edge of space. People use them to film, track, and measure stuff. They call them “workhorse” balloons because they can carry cameras and other things. Some are even sealed tight so the air doesn’t leak out. I guess that makes sense if you want them to go really high.
I also found out that in 2013, a balloon called BS 13-08 went up to a crazy height of 53.7 kilometers! That’s like 33.4 miles or 176,000 feet. It seems like weather balloons are the most common type of high-altitude balloons. People also use them for experiments way up in the atmosphere.
The National Weather Service uses these balloons a lot. They have other tools like Doppler radar and satellites, but the balloons are still the best for measuring temperature, wind, humidity, and pressure above the ground.
- The flights usually last two to three hours, but it depends on how much helium you put in and the size of the parachute.
- More helium means a longer flight, I guess.
So, after all this digging around, I figured out that the cost of a weather balloon is pretty variable. But it looks like I can get one without breaking the bank. Now I just need to decide if I really want to launch one myself!