Welcome to space.1337arts.com — Project Icarus, home of the original $150 near-space launch!
Update (Sept. 17, 2009): WE HAVE TIME LAPSE!!!
The compressed pictures used for the time lapse video can be found at: http://web.mit.edu/jlee08/Public/1337arts/
(They are in the folder TimeLapse3 or in the zip file TimeLapse3.zip)
Click to see the video on YouTube.
If you would like to request any of the original full-size images, email [email protected] with the number of the image you would like to see and we will send you a copy. (The total size of all of the original images is 7GB!) Please be patient with the pictures. We are receiving about 20 requests per hour.
*The guy in the beginning of the picture is the Vice President of the company whose property we launched from. He came out to help us launch!
**Time lapse actually doesn’t look that great because the cooler was not stabilized.
**Below is a video for people who cannot access Youtube (e.g., people in China)
And… here’s us on CNN. Check out many more video and news links on the sidebar.
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***CAUTION/DISCLAIMER: Launching things into the stratosphere can be DANGEROUS! Please contact the FAA before trying any launches (even if they are under 4 lbs.) to make sure your vehicle won’t be entering restricted airspace and PLEASE check the University of Wyoming’s Balloon Trajectory Predictor(or a similar website) to make sure you balloon won’t be landing in the city/a populated area where it might cause significant damage. Also, be sure to test your balloon’s terminal velocity for descent before launching. We tested our parachute by putting eggs inside of our styrofoam box and tossing the box off of a 5 story building. We were not satisfied with the landing speed of our box until the eggs did not break upon the box’s impact.
**UPDATE: We will be posting a step-by-step illustrated guide on how we did our $150 launch shortly-it will be free of charge.
***Update on Correspondence. I try to respond to every email that we get within a 48 hours, but I everyone once in a while I will be swamped with HW. Please understand, however, that we are still in school, and it can be hard to find time to reply to the massive amounts of emails that we have received with all the the homework and labwork that we have to do.
About Project Icarus
We are a group of MIT students seeking to share the artistic aspects of science with others. On Sept. 2, 2009, we launched a digital camera into near-space to take photographs of the earth from high up above. (see “Flight”)
Several groups have accomplished similar feats (see “Other Launches”), but as far we know, we are the first group ever to:
(1) Complete such a launch on a budget of $150 total. All of our supplies (including camera, GPS tracking, weather balloon, and helium) were purchased for less than a grand total of $150.
**Note: For readers who are curious about how our flight costs stacked up against the group of Spanish high school studentsthat have been mentioned in many of the website comments, here is a quote about their costs from NewScientist:
“If we count the balloon itself, plus the helium, antennas, sensors and so on, we spent about €1000 ($1357).”
(Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16805)
So they spent about $1350 for their project. I would like to reiterate that high-altitude balloon photography has been around for a LONG time. (decades, probably) What is special about what we’ve done is our low budget and ease of assembly/creation.
(2) Create a launch vehicle without the use of any electronic hacking. We used off-the-shelf items exclusively (i.e., no electronic chips or soldering) to create our launch vehicle.
The results were fantastic. Our ultra low-budget balloon went 17.5 miles high into the uppermost parts of the stratosphere and returned 5 hours later. We tracked the device with GPS and found it some 20 miles away from the launch site.
**Note: commentators are correct that we did not go “into space” - space is much higher than any helium-filled balloon could probably go. That is why the tagline of the website says “pictures from near-space.” I believe the iReport article has been corrected to mention something like “space photos” instead of “pictures from space” to reflect a more technically correct description.
**Many people have commented on the legality of the balloon launch with respect to FAA regulations. FAA regulations only apply to balloons with payloads over four pounds. Please check the FAA regulations for further information.
Check us out on CNN, FOX, ABC! Click here to watch the Fox video, Click here to watch the CNN video. Click here to watch the ABC video
Project Icarus Details:
| Who | Oliver Yeh, Justin Lee, Eric Newton |
| Launch Date/Time | September 2nd, 2009, 11:45 EST |
| Launch Location | Sturbridge, MA - 42.12074, -72.06233 |
| Impact Location | Worcester, MA - 42.25504, -71.71943 |
| Distance Traveled | ~20 miles |
| Altitude Achieved | 93,000 feet, 17.5 miles |
| Helium Used | ~65 cubic feet |
| Weight | ~800g, 28oz |
| Camera | Canon A470 /w chdk open source firmware |
| Batteries | 4 Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries |
| GPS Reciever | Motorola i290 Prepaid Cellphone (”Boost Mobile”) |
| Tracking Software | Accutracking, Instamapper |
| Flight path | Google Earth kml |
| FAA regulation | Legal as long as payload is under 4 pounds |
Pls send me the plans when you get a chance. I would love to try this on the cheap.
Hi, I am really hoping to get the opportunity to recreate your near-space balloon flight. If you could e-mail me the step-by-step instructions that would be really helpful.
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Great memorial to “LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS”
Great work!!!
I really need the instructions ASAP! We are planning our target launch date for October 17th and I already have all the materials, just awaiting step by step instructions.
Great Job guys! Its people like you who inspire people to open thier imagination, be creative, and take chances.
I’d love to get the plans as soon as you have them done, excited to give this a try on the West Coast!
Thanks!
Hello,
I absolutly love this project, would you be able to send me the instructions when you get a chance,
Thanks,
Chris
Hello! Repentant klooper appropriate for my english jer, buti particular nice re say gJ$)Kd!!!.
People, please be patient. The plans are coming. Remember, these guys are students the last time I checked.
This is a really cool project. I’m a geek who likes building, fixing, and dissecting things, so I really appreciate what you’ve accomplished. I’m also a helicopter pilot with a word of self-preservationary caution. I fly a 2 seat helicopter called a Robinson R-22, which weighs under 1,400 lbs. It’s tiny. It feels every gust of air. A 4 lb. cooler would bring me down if I hit it in the right place at 100mph. And it’s so small I probably wouldn’t even see it coming. Small airplanes usually fly faster. They’re a little more sturdy, but hit through the windshield…., you can imagine (Google “bird strike” for a comparable hazard pilots face). Although the FAA regulation says it doesn’t apply to balloon payloads under four pounds, they always put in an exception. In this case it’s sec. 101.7; No person may operate any …. unmanned free balloon in a manner that creates a hazard to other persons, or their property. So being under 4 lbs doesn’t get you off the hook for being responsible. Please add this warning to your instructions: Look up and around and listen carefully for aircraft before you launch. Thanks.
Well done guys! Very creative and impressive work.
I am putting together plans for a launch on the east coast of Australia.
I would like to have a down pointing camera to try to illustrate the impact that large scale open-cut mining is having on the Hunter Valley area of New South Wales.
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts.
You have a great Blog!!! I just added you to my Google News Reader.
Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Next month I will go to Europe on Vacations, can you tell me where I can get the chepeast International flights?
Keep up the good work.
Super cool guys. I am a bit of a veterin when it comes to flying (been at it 30 years). And aeronautics and aerospace engineering as well. I can tell you first hand that the view at that altitude is awe inspiring as I have been there myself on research flights (only a few types of aircraft can make it much above 55,000 feet, and a very scant few above 70,000 feet). So for those not having had the opportunity to get there themselves, but want to see the view, this is a great alternative. I caution those who want to follow your example. You guys had super great luck. Winds aloft; the adverse effects the extreme temperatures can have on electronics and digital components (ground temps compared to about -60F can be a a change of 150F, and most electronics don’t function well below 30F - especially digital); recovering the gear. Everything came together well for you. But that is because the electronics in the cell did not fail in the extreme low temps of the rarified atmosphere. Even the digital camera kept going - that totally should not have happened without some sort of climate control for the gear. I’m amazed.
I forgot to mention that in listening to what you said on CNN about the linear rate of ascent and extrapolating to get the altitude; did the GPS not tell you the altitude? GPS will do that and be accurate to a few hundred feet or so.
I am in agreement with DanR22pilot. This could be bad in controlled airspace such as class B,C and D. I am a fixed wing pilot, and can tell you that an aircraft cruising at 150 - 200 MPH could be in trouble. Birds have gone through windshields and killed pilots. Then there are the airliners cruising at 35,000 feet going 500MPH. Without going into the kinetic energy of a pound at that speed, I’ll tell you it’s lethal. Please everyone; get a bit familiar with air routes, controlled airspace, and air traffic in certain areas. DON’T DO THIS AROUND A LARGE CITY AND OTHER AREAS OF HIGH POPULATION!!!!!!!!
Keep in mind folks: General/Private air traffic up to 15,000 feet. Intermediate/Secondary/Commuter Air Lines up to 20,000 feet. Major Air Lines 30,000 to 40,000 feet. An occasional Citation or Lear Biz Jet to 50,000 feet. Very rare military and research traffic to 70,000 feet. Rarer would be a U-2 up to 90,000 feet. Our skies are occupied by people flying machines that can be brought down by a few pounds. Regarding airlines and general avaition; the closer you are to a large city, the greater the air traffic. Contact the FAA and give a heads up on balloon launches, and to be advised of the legalities of the proposed area. Pilots can at least keep a sharp eye out if they’re in the area at the proposed time. Again, I am impressed and applaud the efforts and success. But let’s be safe.
OOOPPS, sorry about the GPS/Altitude inquiry/statement. I forgot about some program/software issues until I read things on the website; and forgot of some of the GPS successes I have had.
Hey I was just wondering when you guys think the instructions will be accessable on the internet? No rush at all just seeing if i could do this for my class project. thanks :]
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Очень интересно. Однако чего-то не хватает. Может составлять, стоит добавить каких-нибудь картинок или фото?
No rush! school work takes priority.