Alright, let’s talk about sending stuff way, way up. I got this itch, see? Kept wondering just how high one of those weather balloons could actually get. Not just reading about it, but actually doing it myself. You know, get my hands dirty.
Getting the Gear Together
First off, I needed the balloon. Not just any party balloon, mind you, but a proper big one, the kind they use for weather stuff. Found one online, took a bit of digging. Then, the gas. Helium’s the easy choice, safer too, though pricey. Didn’t fancy messing with hydrogen, frankly. So, got myself a tank of helium – heavier than I thought it’d be.
Next, the payload. What’s the point if you don’t know where it went or what it saw? So, I built a small insulated box. Nothing fancy, just some foam. Inside, I stuck:
- A GPS tracker. This was key. Had to be one that could handle the cold and altitude, and importantly, report back its location.
- A small, cheap action camera. Set it to record video, hoped the battery would last.
- Some hand warmers tossed in to try and keep the electronics from freezing solid. Maybe it helped, maybe not.
- A parachute. Definitely needed a parachute for the way down. Got a bright orange one so maybe, just maybe, I could spot it later.
Stringing it all together took some doing. Had to figure out the right length of line between the balloon, the parachute, and the box. Too short, things get tangled. Too long, it’s flapping about.
The Launch Day
Finding a launch spot was trickier than I expected. Had to be wide open, clear skies, and crucially, away from airports and flight paths. Didn’t want any trouble. Drove out pretty far into the countryside early one morning. Weather looked good, not too windy.
Filling the balloon was… an experience. Helium tank hooked up, started filling. That balloon just grew and grew. You gotta be careful not to overfill, or it’ll pop right there. Got it to the size I figured was right, tied it off securely. Felt like wrestling an octopus.
Then, attached the parachute rig and the payload box below it. Double-checked all the knots. Heart was pounding a bit, honestly. You put all this effort in, and now it’s time to just… let go.
So, I did. Held the payload, walked a few steps, and released it. Whoosh! That balloon didn’t hang about. Shot straight up, pulling the payload behind it. Faster than I thought it would.
Watching and Waiting
Now came the waiting game. Pulled out my phone, opened the tracking app for the GPS. There it was, a little dot moving up and across the map. Altitude climbing steadily. 10,000 feet… 20,000… 50,000 feet… It just kept going up.
It’s a weird feeling, watching that little dot representing your box floating miles above the earth. Passed the level where planes fly. Kept climbing. The tracker showed the temperature dropping like a stone, way below freezing.
So, how high did mine get? Well, the tracker kept sending data up past 80,000 feet, then maybe around 90,000 feet… and then the signal got patchy. The last solid reading I got was just over 93,000 feet. That’s pretty damn high! Almost 18 miles up. The balloon must have burst around then, which is what they’re designed to do when they get too big in the thin air.
The Downward Journey (and the Chase?)
After the peak, the tracker showed it coming down, much faster initially, then slowing as the parachute hopefully opened. I watched the dot drift with the upper winds, landing miles away from the launch site. Now, the recovery… that’s a whole other story. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. Let’s just say finding a small box in the middle of nowhere based on its last known GPS ping involves a lot of driving, walking, and sometimes, just giving up when it lands somewhere impossible to reach, like thick woods or private land you can’t get onto.
This time? Let’s just say the chase was long, involved some muddy fields, but I actually managed to find the box! Battered, cold, but the camera footage (most of it) was there. Seeing that curve of the Earth, the blackness of space above… totally worth the mud.
Final Thoughts
So, how high can a weather balloon go? Based on my little adventure, easily up to the 90,000 to 100,000 feet range, maybe more with a bigger balloon or less payload. Nearly 20 miles straight up. It’s not rocket science to launch one, but it takes planning, some luck, and being prepared for things not always going exactly as you hoped. But seeing that view, even from a cheap camera dangling under a balloon? Yeah, I get why people do it.