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)
Dude…you guys are awesome. That is so cool. Great job!
I am from Turkey.I like this site very much.I congratulate you…
This is just great. No millions of dollars wasted. You Rock.
this is brilliant. nasa has so much money and yet you did such an amazing job with such a small budget. truly awesome.
Project Icarus? I thought that was top-secret Pirandello/Kruger business…
Hey guys, I love this project. I have a rocket scientist who blogs for me who did a feature on Project Icarus, hope you enjoy! http://knovelblogs.com/2010/03/rocket-scientist-looks-project-icarus/
Great job folks! Thanks for not setting the video to some crappy music, made it even better!
This was so amazing, congrats! Can’t wait to see your next exploration!!
Hi!I’m from a Chinese media called , which is specialized in reporting today’s global news and doing feature stories.
You guys are so amazing! I wonder if I could have in interview with you.Write to me soon! Thanks
Hi Guys,
I’m thinking of an alternative and real life business use for your project/technology.
I live in an African country in which there has been involved in a lot of violence lately.
We are thinking of launching balloons with cameras mounted for monitoring of installations and trouble prone areas.
Would you be open to collaboration?
Thanks.
YOU GUYS NEED TO WORK FOR NASA. IF THEY DID IT, IT WOULD COST 5 MILLION DOLLARS.
Somebody is taking credit for your work people…
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100325/tod-brit-conquers-space-with-helium-ball-870a197.html
I am an artist who currently lives in San Antonio i would love to take high altitude pictures do you have a schematic or a work sheet on how to do this. i already have all the parts.
thank you very much.
jason
Why hasn’t anyone sent up an iPod nano with a video camera yet?
i have a question since im doing this project for a science fair at my school. Can I use a different type of cell phone for the gps tracking.
Hola! I wonder why this guy from England got so much more attention doing the same as you. Robert Harrison is all over the world news, oh well. You got it lots cheaper so I give you more credit
Wow this is amazing!!
I’m from SouthKorea. well. You guys so awesome. CHEER UP!
good video, congratulations!!!, i like =)
FROM CHILE , OSORNO
i have a question.
what about the issue, where the object will fall after the baloon explodes ?
sorry for bad english
and cheers from italy