The GPS cell phone we used to track the location of our vehicle lost reception soon after launch (at an elevation of ~2500 feet). Although we had expected to lose contact with the balloon, the altitude of “last-report” was much lower than expected.
After loss of electronic contact, we could continued to track the capsule visually for about half an hour until the glare of the sun prevented further viewing.
GPS information recorded in the flight logs reported a maximum altitude of 19,853 feet due to software limitations. With some simple approximations (linear extrapolation of velocity – a fair assumption justified after looking through flight trajectories of similar balloons), we estimated that our balloon achieved an altitude of about 93000 feet before returning to the earth. The balloon’s ascent took about 4 hours, and its descent took 40 minutes.
 Earth from 93000 feet. Long Island in the background.
|  Glowing from the sun
|
 Our balloon popped at around 93000 feet, beginning its 40 minute descent
|  The falling balloon
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Fantastic idea, great result, congratulations from Brazil
So, did you guys notify the FAA or anything before you launched?
These are awesome. Can’t wait to get home to watch the Youtube vid. They don’t let us access them at work.
fantastic!!!!
[...] voo, que foi batizado de Projeto Ícaro em alusão à mitologia grega, foi uma ideia dos estudantes Justin Lee, Oliver Yeh e Eric Newton. [...]
Try a glider for reentry next time.
Fantástico! São de jovens como vocês que o mundo necessita, empreendedores, ousados e criativos. Continuem utilizando a inteligência para atingir objetivos em prol da grandeza da humanidade.
A Vulcan salute: “live long and prosper”
Fantastic, congratulations from Brazil.
You are the guys!
Keeping working.. Success
Nice job guys. Perfect project execution. Makes NASA projects look as a white elephant in a small room. Congratz.
MI DELOKIGUM TELERO AL MI NE COMPRENAS VI IT LI MI SAMIDEANO SINIORINOI
This story makes my want to build the same thing and send it just to say that I took pictures from space and how many people can say that. Great work!!!
Impressive. Superb.What was the level of FAA involvement?
Congratulations from Monaco. Well done everyone!
Awesome!!! Just took the bottle rocket concept to new heights, this will get more than one kid excited about space and science, thank you!!!!
It´s awesome. Very impresive. Now I´ve been asking myself.
What will be the next step?
Isso ai macacada!!! Parabéns!! Tirem uma foto do meu pinto depois! Projeto CATSO!!!
太好了
Awesome!
Congrats. Makes me want to be a teenager again.
like kevin garnett anything is possible!
Well done guys!!