Welcome to space.1337arts.com — Project Icarus, home of the original $150 near-space launch!
UPDATE: 8/7/10 We have created a forum. If you have questions, comments, or just want to show your near-space launch, post HERE!
UPDATE: 5/12/10 Check out grassrootsmapping.org! We’re helping citizens to use balloons, kites, and other simple and inexpensive tools to produce their own aerial imagery of the spill… documentation that will be essential for environmental and legal use in coming years.
UPDATE: 10/30/09: Want to do it yourself? Visit GUIDE, a compilation of detailed information regarding what we did for our launch.
Click Here for archive of updates
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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’sBalloon 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.
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.
(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.
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 | 98,000 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 |
**Below is a video for people who cannot access Youtube (e.g., people in China)
Do it again. This time aim the camera toward Earth, rather than toward Mars.
Well done dudes.
Been wanting to do this too, but staying much longer than five hours. Any ideas? Also, I would have my camera at the bottom of the cooler box to get at least 2-D pics of Earth.
Last, how do you GPS-track the launched vehicle.
This page space.1337arts.com shows you how to use a iDEN motorola phone as a GPS tracker using http://www.instamapper.com or other web based software. One issue with GSM 3G, 4G whatever, phones is that cell signals, even with a signal booster or attaching an antenna to the phone itself, will loose signal after about 5000 feet. This is ok for finding the package when it lands, but can be nerve racking when you let go of the balloon and loose signal for hours, then suddenly you get a signal fifty miles away. The best solution is to use a satellite only GPS tracking device in addition to a cell phone. Reason is that if your GPS device has an obscured view of the sky when it lands you may not be able to track it. The cell signal will work right thru a styrofoam cooler.
I love space!! i love learning EVERYTHING about space so knowing about a boy doing that? well it makes me want to do it to
!! im exited and ready!! im Starting to plan one myslelf and hope it makes it into space and back!! i also hope i can get pictures like this 
!! and wish me luck!!
amazing video. i will suggest it to my friends… its educational…
Great space arts.
Inspired by Popular Science Magazine my 13 year old son wanted to give this project a try this summer. Considering we live in Orlando Florida and just witnessed the last shuttle launch/landing, I obliged him and his science aspirations with a generous budget and lots of help.
We launched on the 25th of July 2011. A summary of the project can be found here: http://www.brickandfire.com/files/Project-Asporto-Mission-1.pdf
We have started a facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Asporto/142406169175603 to record the entire project so “like” our page and follow our next trip in the first or second week of August.
Just a heads up, after all considerable research on GPS trackers, the solution we came up with was the SPOT Personal GPS tracker. Ironic that on the PDF here, they covet the same item. Cool part is that it will automatically update its position to our facebook page on the next go. We are stoked!
very interested in how i can make my own. would be great to hear back with instructions maybe?
What does “1337arts” mean?
to which event does the number refer?
How did you keep the lens from fogging up?
This is fantastic! Where is the best place to buy the equipment? How did you do the GPS. Great idea to get a prepaid phone.
Our plan is to launch in the California Desert so we can follow and retrieve it.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Awesome work guys!! I loved the video. Thanks so much for posting this. BTW, what are you two studying at MIT? Best of luck with your futures!! Christina
nice!it’s a superb project!
Does anyone know where I can download the original footage – the http://web.mit.edu/jlee08/Public/ site no longer has timelapse3.zip
Also, is it possible to contact J. Lee or O. Yeh? I realize this site is now 3 years old, so they probably don’t visit here any longer.
YOU PICKED THE RIGHT NAME. THIS IS 1337 AND ITS A PIECE OF ART!!!! xx 5/5
How did you record your altitude?
Hey guys, congrats on this project – I def give it two thumbs up. You inspired me to try this out myself.
Keep up the great work and ideas!!
It would have been nice to see Earth. Next time point the camera down.
No rush! school work takes priority.