Students from Leicester University’s Astronomy and Rocketry society have launched a weather balloon to an altitude of 23.6km, capturing stunning images in the process.
The launch, which took place in December, is part of a wider project codenamed Aether. This initial endeavour saw the team release a balloon and sensor payload near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire. As well as producing photographs and video, the flight tested electronic control systems for future planned flights that will monitor pollution, along with advanced navigational systems.
Having successfully captured images of the Earth’s curvature, the payload then descended at speeds up to 100mph before being recovered in Warwickshire. The students were able to track the balloon’s progress with the help of amateur radio enthusiasts, and the same techniques will be applied for future flights.
“We’ve proven the reliability of the payload electronics and tracking methods, the payload returned in perfect condition, that’s a lot to say for something that’s been to 23.6km and plunged back to earth at over 44.7m/s,” said Robert Peck, a student at Leicester’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
“The tracking also worked perfectly, we are indebted to the amateur radio community for helping us to set up the tracking equipment.”
According to the team, future flights will test the full sensor array and advanced navigation systems, which time constraints prevented them from launching on this occasion.
As worthy as the project is, I suggest it does not in fact capture images of the Earth’s curvature, that is an optical illusion caused by the camera lens, as can be seen when it takes off!
It is not April fools day – or have you been watching too many Youtube videos. I guess the ISS people’s cameras are bad too.
That curved rope at the edge of the picture in the foreground is a bit of a clue too.
excellent point-26 kms is only 16 miles, after all. Using very wide-angle lens no doubt, even from manned space station, the curvature is not that much
You claim that these pictures (video) shows the earth’s curvature from a mere 14 miles high is not true. The video is shot with a GoPro fisheye lens, which is what is causing the earth to look distorted (convex). However, there are many moments in the video, that could have been screen-shotted to show the earth as concave, and others showing it to be flat, as the balloon bounces around. This is disingenuous reporting.
What a bunch of naysayers! Well done on an excellent project and successful recovery, keep at it