Getting My Weather Balloon Gear Ready
Alright, so I was super curious about how high these big balloons actually fly. You see them in videos sometimes, way up high looking tiny, right? I figured, let’s try it myself! First thing, had to order all the stuff. Found a weather balloon kit online – the balloon itself was huge when it arrived, like one of those giant beach balls but stretchier. Also got some sensors to track where it went and how high, strapped those onto a little piece of foam board like a tiny satellite. Took me way longer than expected just to read the instructions and tie the knots properly. Nearly tangled myself up in the rope!
Launch Day Chaos
Picked a clear morning out in a big open field, thought it would be simple. Yeah, not so much. Wind kept messing with the balloon while I was trying to fill it with helium from those big tanks. My buddy was supposed to help, but he mostly just stood there laughing while I wrestled with it. Filling it took forever – it just kept getting bigger and bigger, felt like holding back a giant jellyfish. Finally got enough gas in it and sealed the valve. My palms were all sweaty tying it off. Got the camera rolling, counted down, and… whoosh! Up it went, faster than I thought it would! Felt awesome just watching that big white blob shrink against the blue sky.
The Chase Was On!
Jumped in the car immediately, tracking the little blip on the GPS map on my laptop screen. Drove like crazy trying to follow its path across state roads while it drifted. Honestly thought I might lose it a couple of times when the signal got weak. Ended up parked in the middle of nowhere, staring at my screen, watching the altitude number just climb and climb. It went crazy high, man. Like, higher than the big passenger planes fly! Couldn’t even see it with binoculars anymore. Kept creeping up, way past where I thought it would get.
The Big Pop!
And then… bam! The altitude just stopped climbing. Saw it freeze on the screen. That was it. The balloon burst! That’s what happens up there where the air is super thin, practically nothing. The gas inside just expands and expands until… pop! Like blowing up a balloon until it bursts on your face, just way, way higher. The GPS showed it reached nearly 100,000 feet! That’s almost 19 miles up! Blows my mind. Watched the sensors start falling back down, way slower, caught on the parachute I packed. Had to drive another hour to find the dang thing stuck high up in a pine tree. Got scratched up climbing it! Talk about a bummer.
What Did I Learn?
So, why did it finally pop? Basically, the air pressure way up there is crazy low. As the balloon goes up, the outside pressure drops, letting the helium inside expand. The balloon stretches and stretches like chewing gum. Every balloon has a limit though. The one I used could stretch to like 6 meters wide! But when it stretches that thin, eventually it just can’t take the pressure anymore and rips apart. My 600-gram balloon made it to just under 100,000 feet before giving up the ghost. Depends on how much helium you start with and the balloon’s own stretchiness. Cheap balloon? Might pop way sooner. Stronger one, hangs on longer. Simple as that!