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)
VERY cool. I’m sure the military is trying to figure out how to attach a nuclear warhead to it by now. They WILL be in contact soon.
this is really cool!
http://www.primafax.de freefax for everyone
Usei um papagaio de papel para levar ao céu meu celular. Com isso, consegui excelentes imagens de minha pequena cidade, já que o papagaio permite que a câmera fique mais ou menos fixa. Em breve publicarei as fotos. A idéia é boa e o custo foi zero. Mandem-me um email que eu aviso a vocês quando eu publicar as fotos. Grande abraço from South Brazil – Minas gerais – Itutinga.
You guys are awesome! Your group exemplifies the best mix of art and science ever! Please keep up the great work and never stop asking “why not?”
Keep up the great work and never stop asking “why not?”
Wonderful!
Thanks you to give us a new idea…
Great respects from Istanbul
nice to know guys like you able to flare up immaginations
创意很好！
Do not use the baterry charger. It caused our phone to shut off 5 minutes into our flight. All hardware was lost….
What do you mean dont use the battery charger?
This was awesome!
congrats guys!!! studying science was my dream but not all our dreams come true. Continue with the great things you do and enjoy it. I admire you and envy you at the same time!!!
Olá moro no Brazil e gostaria de fazer esse experimento aqui.Pode me ajudar?
me ligue 00-55-77-99731267
Somehow I am not, by far, impress. People at China and Brazil attach digital cameras to kites and are careful enough to point the camera downwards! Unfair is the fact that you get so much publicity just for being at MIT.
that is raw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHwgQiMr5VE
that raw
awesome writeup guys! keep up the good work and let’s see what you do next!
Greetings,
I am deeply interested in having my university’s physics club do something similar. All the parts you’re using are cheap and off-the-shelf, as mentioned in your article. What I think would be a great (and logical) next step is for one to build a sort of platform or station like that mentioned in “Airship to Orbit.” The first attempt could be to build a platform with multiple balloons and plastic or light metal trusses. Remote-control cameras, and eventually even steering mechanisms, along with using balloon materials that will last longer (no more popping and a quick fall to the ground), could be a great next step for this. I assume an autopilot program of some kind would work best, but amateur radio might work as well. Also, being able to keep the platform aloft for days, if not weeks at a time (solar panels?), and then a controlled descent could be downright awesome….near-space, here we come!
To all the team CONGRATULATIONS from AMSAT ARGENTINA.
We do also many experiences with ballons.
You should know about us ASAP
In the mean while you can contact LU7ABF@amsat.org.ar our project leader Pedro Converso or watch our site at http://www.amsat.org.ar
Greetings from Rodolfo LU9AFP
U GUYS R SOOOOOOOOOO COOOOOL…
THIS WORK WAS AMAZING.