Amateur Space Balloon

[RocketsNorth]

This is a really cool link one of the guys at work sent me
https://space.1337arts.com/

Check out the number of teams doing the same thing in the "Other Launches" link on the Left side of the page.

 

[cornyl]

OKAY, STOP, STOP,STOP!!!!!
Did I just read that this balloon went 18 miles up and did not not need a FAA waiver because it weighs less than 4 lbs???????????
Ok, granted, very cool idea. Done very well.
But because it weighed less than 4 pounds?????
Maybe this is another area NAR and Tripoli should look into-
I would love to launch a 3.9999 pound rocket 18 miles up without
special permission.
Cornyl

 

[InFlight]

This one from the UK took some pics, really cool!

Teens capture images of space
.

 

[BHP]

OKAY, STOP, STOP,STOP!!!!!
Did I just read that this balloon went 18 miles up and did not not need a FAA waiver because it weighs less than 4 lbs???????????

Cornyl

Nope. I'm not sure what you read but less than 6 lbs. payload (and a few other minor things) a free balloon requires no FAA waiver. Balloons move very slowly.

Now don't go causing a ruckus and getting them to look at ballooning for new regs.

 

[sylvie369]

Nope. I'm not sure what you read but less than 6 lbs. payload (and a few other minor things) a free balloon requires no FAA waiver. Balloons move very slowly.

Not always.

https://aprs.fi/?call=KB9ZNZ-3

Click on any of those red dots on the map to see some in-flight GPS data. I see one spot near Trinity at which they were going 78 MPH. Of course that's all due to the winds up there at 42,000 feet on the way up. Once they rise out of the jetstream they come to almost a complete stop. I helped fly one to 94,000 feet back in early June.

 

[BR549]

Since the accepted boundary of space is 62 miles, calling 17.5 miles "near-space" is kind of wierd. That's only 28% of the distance.

That's like me launching a rocket 1 mile up, and then coming on here and telling you guys I went "near-3 miles".

It's still impressive mind you.

 

[BHP]

Not always.

https://aprs.fi/?call=KB9ZNZ-3

Click on any of those red dots on the map to see some in-flight GPS data. I see one spot near Trinity at which they were going 78 MPH. Of course that's all due to the winds up there at 42,000 feet on the way up. Once they rise out of the jetstream they come to almost a complete stop. I helped fly one to 94,000 feet back in early June.

Granted. Perhaps I should have said "ascend" slowly. We are on a rocketry forum, after all, and everything is relative.

I, too, have flown a HAB and am very close to making our second flight.

 

[Lentamental]

HAB is exciting stuff, as it gets up to altitudes othewise only reachable by super high power rockets.

A HAB is one of the things I am considering doing with some of my school friends. It is between that and experimental rocket engines.