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iPhone in Space

J

John_Keck

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
379
After eight months of researching and testing their homemade spacecraft, a father and son sent an iPhone into space and captured the whole thing on video. Pretty neat!

It reached a height of nineteen miles, or about 100,000 feet, which is high enough to show the earth's curvature and a black sky above the atmosphere. At that height, the low pressure means that the helium expanded and the balloons burst, whereupon the phone (in its little cushioned capsule) came down, down, down — and landed 30 miles outside New York, signaling to its owners via GPS, whereupon they went and picked it up.
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I wonder what the legality of this is - I'm sure some people would be pissed about amateurs releasing a big piece of debris to be sucked up into an engine. Other than that, this is awesome, although it's been done before with a canon camera modified with CHDK.
 
Why do we need to launch the space shuttle from sea level? Why not just use tons and tons of weather balloons to escape the atmosphere before firing rockets to escape the earth's pull? It seems like that would eliminate much of the need for much of the power required to launch a rocket.
 
difficulty in ensuring proper trajectory... ?

IRSmurf said:
Why do we need to launch the space shuttle from sea level? Why not just use tons and tons of weather balloons to escape the atmosphere before firing rockets to escape the earth's pull? It seems like that would eliminate much of the need for much of the power required to launch a rocket.
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IRSmurf said:
Why do we need to launch the space shuttle from sea level? Why not just use tons and tons of weather balloons to escape the atmosphere before firing rockets to escape the earth's pull? It seems like that would eliminate much of the need for much of the power required to launch a rocket.
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Ironic,isn't it? NASA would probably spend millions to do what they did for the cost of a weather balloon and a iPhone.
 
vsboxerboy said:
I wonder what the legality of this is - I'm sure some people would be pissed about amateurs releasing a big piece of debris to be sucked up into an engine. Other than that, this is awesome, although it's been done before with a canon camera modified with CHDK.
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perhaps the balloon is large enough to leave a radar signature? They may also have contact local airports and such to let them know or research flight paths in their area for release.
 
I want to see and Android phone go to space. :D\


Cool.
 
Ironic,isn't it? NASA would probably spend millions to do what they did for the cost of a weather balloon and a iPhone.
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The iPhone launch had no target landing zone, no redundant backup systems... It was a shot-in-the-dark, lets-see-how-lucky-we-get deal whereas NASA requires perfection (or at least aims for it). I don't think anyone would have gone up on a NASA craft if it didn't attempt to cover all bases.

But you're right. Proving earth was round only needed a weather balloon and a camera. Still, some people still don't believe it.
 
At nineteen miles, or approximately thirty kilometers, they are still comfortably within the limits of the Earth's stratosphere, which is hardly the same as making it all the way to outer space. This has been plenty of times, too, so just another feel-good human interest story, I suppose.
 
IRSmurf said:
Why do we need to launch the space shuttle from sea level? Why not just use tons and tons of weather balloons to escape the atmosphere before firing rockets to escape the earth's pull? It seems like that would eliminate much of the need for much of the power required to launch a rocket.
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Because space shuttles are fucking heavy, that's why. That's like asking why planes take off from runways instead of using balloons to lift them into the sky. We tried that, it didn't work so well.
 
vsboxerboy said:
I wonder what the legality of this is - I'm sure some people would be pissed about amateurs releasing a big piece of debris to be sucked up into an engine. Other than that, this is awesome, although it's been done before with a canon camera modified with CHDK.
Click to expand...

I lived in Newburgh for a few years, home of Stewart ANGB. There were many C-5's and C-130's flying around on a daily basis...not sure why they decided to launch it there. :rolleyes:
 
Cool project and it looks like it got some kids interested in science so more power to them.
 
vsboxerboy said:
I wonder what the legality of this is - I'm sure some people would be pissed about amateurs releasing a big piece of debris to be sucked up into an engine. Other than that, this is awesome, although it's been done before with a canon camera modified with CHDK.
Click to expand...
You just need to get permission from the FAA to perform the launch. These type of launches are done all the time. These are the same balloons NOAA launches every day. Also, there are many universities that will launch them in undergrad classes. The University of Washington has been launching these every quarter in ESS 205. That said, these balloons do not get to space. Like all other balloon, they just float in the atmosphere. You need to get above 325,000 feet before you are considered to be in space.
 
IRSmurf said:
Why do we need to launch the space shuttle from sea level? Why not just use tons and tons of weather balloons to escape the atmosphere before firing rockets to escape the earth's pull? It seems like that would eliminate much of the need for much of the power required to launch a rocket.
Click to expand...
Actually NASA has experimented with the idea back in the 50s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockoon The big issue is you have much less control over the launch trajectory.
 
That is simply awesome! I always wanted to launch a camera when I built rockets as a kid -- the technology is certainly small enough now!
 
...100,000 feet, which is high enough to show the earth's curvature...
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Watching the video I noticed the "curvature of the earth" ten seconds into the flight. How much of a curve is present at 100,000 feet when not using a camera with a slight fisheye lens?

Still cool.
 
precariousgray said:
At nineteen miles, or approximately thirty kilometers, they are still comfortably within the limits of the Earth's stratosphere, which is hardly the same as making it all the way to outer space. This has been plenty of times, too, so just another feel-good human interest story, I suppose.
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Bing!

But it still is cool. Although risking a HD camera, and an IPhone hoping it'll survive? Ballsy?

Curious how he knew how high it actually was, altimeter in the thing perhaps? GPS wouldn't work that high up would it? Could it contact a cell tower from that altitude?
 
michael.pa2 said:
Ironic,isn't it? NASA would probably spend millions to do what they did for the cost of a weather balloon and a iPhone.
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It would have to actually be true before it could ironic. As is, the statement is closer to moronic.
 
I'm just curious why some posts here are just like meh...everyone and their moms are doing it blah blah blah.

It is still fucking awesome.
 
Come guys, that was an incredible Dad & sons project. kudos for making memories and learning the wonder of science at the same time.
 
God thats fucking awesome, I totally plan to do stuff like this when I have kids
 
siliconnerd said:
You just need to get permission from the FAA to perform the launch. These type of launches are done all the time. These are the same balloons NOAA launches every day. Also, there are many universities that will launch them in undergrad classes. The University of Washington has been launching these every quarter in ESS 205. That said, these balloons do not get to space. Like all other balloon, they just float in the atmosphere. You need to get above 325,000 feet before you are considered to be in space.
Click to expand...

The balloon in space is ok, it is the iPhone returning to earth that has me concerned because there is a small chance it could kill someone.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Bing!

But it still is cool. Although risking a HD camera, and an IPhone hoping it'll survive? Ballsy?

Curious how he knew how high it actually was, altimeter in the thing perhaps? GPS wouldn't work that high up would it? Could it contact a cell tower from that altitude?
Click to expand...


yes you can get the altitude on the GPS depending on if the software supports it.. almost all hand held/mounted GPS units give altitude.. no it would not be able to contact a cell tower above 15-17k ft.. depending on the elevation of the cell tower..

cool idea though.. wish i was able to do that as a kid.. my thing was rockets and how many friggin C engines could i fit into a rocket before it would explode.. :p
 
Exitwound said:
The iPhone launch had no target landing zone, no redundant backup systems... It was a shot-in-the-dark, lets-see-how-lucky-we-get deal whereas NASA requires perfection (or at least aims for it). I don't think anyone would have gone up on a NASA craft if it didn't attempt to cover all bases.

But you're right. Proving earth was round only needed a weather balloon and a camera. Still, some people still don't believe it.
Click to expand...

It proves that NASA spends lots of money on something that anyone can do with a little knowledge and a small budget.
 
It is unbelievable how some people in these forums ask such moronic questions.

'Why doesn't NASA launch the space shuttle with balloons?'
'Why are they sending space debris?'
'GPS wouldn't work that high up would it?'

NASA does not try to prove that the earth is round. We all know it is.

It's time to step away from your rigs and watch the Discovery Channel, the Smithsonian Channel and some PBS.

If you need to do everything the [H]ard way, then do what I do. I watch them on a 72" DLP with 5.1 Surround Sound.

Oh, and visiting a Science Center won't hurt either.

Let the rants and flames begin....
 
It proves that NASA spends lots of money on something that anyone can do with a little knowledge and a small budget
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No it doesn't. While this was a fun father/son project, they didn't get anywhere close to outer space. The Balloon went to around 100,000 feet- or about 18 miles. The Karman line, generally regarded as the boundary of outer space, is 100km (62 miles). Reentry for the space shuttle is defined as starting at 72 miles. Going orbital requires more altitude than that.

Balloons cannot reach outer space almost by definition. If there were enough atmosphere to support a balloon, it wouldn't be outer space.
 
Surely the shuttle launch via balloons was not a serious question.

GPS doesn't require a cell tower to work. GPS works at high altitudes, although how high I do not know. But I would estimate that 100,000 feet is no problem for GPS, since the sattellites are still above in space.
 
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