What can ￡56 do? - 西班牙

http://0rz.tw/9ewhH

Teens capture images of space with ￡56 camera and balloon


Teenagers armed with only a ￡56 camera and latex balloon have
managed to take stunning pictures of space from 20-miles above Earth.


Proving that you don't need Google's billions or the BBC weather
centre's resources, the four Spanish students managed to send a
camera-operated weather balloon into the stratosphere.

Taking atmospheric readings and photographs 20 miles above the ground,
the Meteotek team of IES La Bisbal school in Catalonia completed
their incredible experiment at the end of February this year.

Building the electronic sensor components from scratch, Gerard
Marull Paretas, Sergi Saballs Vila, Marta- Gasull Morcillo and
Jaume Puigmiquel Casamort managed to send their heavy duty ￡43
latex balloon to the edge of space and take readings of its ascent.

Created by the four students under the guidance of teacher Jordi
Fanals Oriol, the budding scientists, all aged 18-19, followed
the progress of their balloon using high tech sensors communicating
with Google Earth.

Team leader Gerard Marull, 18, said: "We were overwhelmed at our
results, especially the photographs, to send our handmade craft to
the edge of space is incredible."

Completing their landmark experiment on February, the Meteotek
team had to account for a wide variety of variables and rely on
a lot of luck.

"The balloon we chose was inflated with helium to just over two metres
and weighed just 1500 grams," said Gerard. "It was able to carry the
sensor equipment and digital Nikon camera which weighed 1.5kg.

"However, when we launched at 9.10am on that morning the critical
point for the experiment was to see if the balloon would make it
past 10,000m, or 30,000ft, which is the altitude that commercial
airliners fly at.

"Due to the changing atmospheric pressures, the helium weather balloon
carrying the meteorological equipment was expected to inflate to a
maximum of nine and a half metres as it travelled upwards at 270
metres-per-minute.

"We took readings as the balloon rose and mapped its progress using
Google Earth and the onboard radio receiver," said Gerard.

"At over 100,000ft the balloon lost its inflation and the equipment
was returned to the earth.

"We travelled 10km to find the sensors and photographic card, which
was still emitting its signal, even though it had been exposed to the
most extreme conditions."

The pupils' incredible school science project has already caught the
attention of the University of Wyoming in the US.

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