(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45271000/jpg/_45271499_1.jpg)
When the UK government said it was thinking overturning its long-standing ban on astronauts, surely it wasn't thinking of putting teddies in space?
But pictures have been released of two British toy bears in spacesuits with the curve of the Earth clearly visible behind them.
In fact, the teddies were lofted into the stratosphere by Cambridge school children as part of a science project.
The "teddy-nauts" spent two hours in flight before landing near Ipswich.
Full Story - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7767376.stm
Teenagers armed with only a £56 camera and latex balloon have managed to take stunning pictures of space from 20-miles above Earth.
More... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5005022/Teens-capture-images-of-space-with-56-camera-and-balloon.html
We designed a low cost balloon-launch platform that did not require the use of expensive equipment such as radio modems (the total cost of our device did not exceed 150 dollars) or complicated hardware hacking (all of the components of our device were common electronics available off-the-shelf in stores).
More: http://space.1337arts.com/hardware
( Not sure this isn't more suited for "Technical"... -- Rick )
Two MIT students recently launched a digital camera into the stratosphere on a helium balloon, capturing amazing views of Earth from up high.
The feat is impressive not just for the images, but for its budget - the entire project cost the students only $150.
Oliver Yeh, an MIT senior studying computer science and electrical engineering, and Justin Lee, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, lofted the camera Sept. 2 from Sturbridge, Mass. By tracking its location through the GPS readout of a cheap cell phone they launched along with it, the students were able to retrieve the package after it landed in Worcester about 20 miles (32 km) away.
The resulting pictures are stunning, revealing the blue glow of Earth with the bright glare of the sun's reflection, contrasting against the blackness of space. Yeh's favorite shot is a frame showing the curve of the Earth, with the shapes of Long Island and Connecticut visible.
More: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/090923-space-camera.html (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/090923-space-camera.html)
I didn't know if this would come under Astrophotography, but what the heck, it will only be moved if it's wrong.
Well Jim showed an image taken at about 100,000ft I think he said, and here is the video of how they done it.
http://www.wimp.com/ballooncamera/ (http://www.wimp.com/ballooncamera/)
Tony G
No idea which area this really belongs in*1, but let's at least keep it in one*2 for the time being... ;)
*1 Perhaps we need a super-secret DSC Skunk Works one... :twisted:
*2 ...and I knew some folks rather nearer home had pulled the same trick a while ago. ;)
...and another example: ...from the Daily Mail... (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1091896/Out-world-British-teddy-bears-strapped-helium-weather-balloon-reach-edge-space.html)
(I've found and merged in Mike's link to the story on the BBC at the time, too.)