A journey in pictures and video from the surface of the earth to the nearest of space and back again.
Oregon High-Altitude Balloon Collaboration
The Oregon High-Altitude Balloon Collaboration is at it again! OHAB's founders were the first group of balloon-crazies to get funded via Kickstarter, and now we're back for more!
What's different?
This will be our 10th launch. We feel thoroughly tested, and we're ready to take on a new challenge! Our team has expanded, and our new members boast diverse backgrounds from social work to astro-physics.
After hours of brainstorming and research, we've got a plan. We are going to launch a weather balloon, and it will be towing a parachute and a box known as the payload. In that box we're going to install a 10MP digital camera, an HD video camera and sensors to record the journey through the atmosphere. The balloon will tow the payload to near space and back again.
In addition, we hope to include:
- an Arduino (open-source) flight computer
- an assortment of environmental sensors
- Last, but certainly not least, we will allow 1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figure or 1 Batman action figure hitch a ride up to 111,000 feet.
This is an exciting opportunity for everyone involved, and we'll do our best to include all our backers in on the fun through regular project updates! Thanks for your support!
FAQ
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Our two options are helium and hydrogen. We are planning on filling the balloon with hydrogen. Hydrogen provides much more lifting power than helium per the same amount, so we use hydrogen to achieve a higher maximum altitude above the earth than we would achieve if we used helium. It's important to note that hydrogen is explosive. We avoid the danger by using a closed system to fill the balloon. Hydrogen is only dangerous when oxygen is present, so by using a closed filling system, no air (containing oxygen) is allowed to mix with the hydrogen. 99% of the gas pumped into the balloon will be hydrogen gas. Kids, don't try this at home. In the picture above, the kids were in no danger. We were using helium, and helium does not burn.
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We don't know yet. When we launch a balloon, we strive to plan the flight so it will land where we will have the least trouble picking up the payload. Because the wind and weather change from day to day, we'll start running flight simulations from about ten days prior to the launch. As the launch date gets closer, we'll narrow down the possible launch locations. On occasion, the weather does something unexpected, and we choose a completely different launch site on the morning on the launch. We'll post maps showing the possible flight paths the balloon and payload might take in the days leading up to the launch.
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That's a great question! We're shooting for 4 pounds (1.81 kg) or less. The Federal Aviation Administration has set rules that we must follow. We could launch more than 4 pounds if we contact the FAA and work with them to plan the flight, but we've never had to. With the decreasing weight of electronics, it's becoming easier for amateur space enthusiasts to launch weather balloons, perform science experiments, photograph the earth, and more!
36
Backers
$1,382
pledged of $400 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding period
Jul 30, 2012 -
Aug 22, 2012
(23 days)
Pledge $1 or more
7 backers
Pledge $1, and we will send you a link to download one fantastic photo taken at 100,000 feet or higher!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $10 or more
1 backer All gone!
A pledge of $10 will make it possible to include a sensor that will detect the intensity of sunlight throughout the whole flight. Testing a light sensor is the next step to incorporating solar panels to help power the electronics in future payloads. In return, we'll email you a link to download 15 of the best photos captured at 100,000 feet and higher!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $10 or more
7 backers Limited (23 of 30 left)
With your pledge of $10, you will put us on the path to purchasing the Balloon > Ground communications equipment! With this gear, we can get 2 minute updates from the payload while it's in flight. In return, we'll email you a link to download 15 of the best photos captured at 100,000 feet and higher!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $10 or more
2 backers All gone!
Pledge $10, and we can purchase 1 of 2 temperature sensors we want to include in our scientific payload! In return, we'll email you a link to download 15 of the best photos captured at 100,000 feet and higher!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $25 or more
8 backers
A pledge of $25 will help us to fill our gas tanks for the trek through Oregon's scenic Columbia River Gorge while we chase the balloon across Oregon! This is truly the best part of the whole experience, and everyone involved will be high on life! In return, we'll email you a link to download the footage captured by the HD video camera and 15 of the best photos captures throughout the flight!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $35 or more
2 backers All gone!
A pledge of $35 will make it possible for us to include an altimeter in our scientific payload! With an altimeter, we'll be able to record just how high above the earth our balloon and payload actually got! In return, we'll email you a link to 30 of the absolute best pictures captured during the flight!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $55 or more
0 backers Limited (4 of 4 left)
A $55 pledge will pay for one-quarter of the equipment needed to enable real-time updates from the payload throughout the entire flight! This is a critical upgrade that will all but guarantee our sucess! In return for your pledge, we will snail mail you a small poster-print composite photograph. We will also include a link to download 30 of the best pictures from the entire flight.
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $65 or more
1 backer All gone!
We need a parachute! You see, after the balloon reaches 111,000+ feet, the balloon POPS! The payload, due to a lack of air, will fall close to the speed of sound. The parachute will slow the payload down as it descends into the atmosphere, finally touching down at a relatively slow 10 miles per hour. In return for your pledge, we will snail mail you a small poster-print composite photograph signed by the team! We will also include a link to download 30 of the best pictures from the entire flight.
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $75 or more
2 backers All gone!
This is my favorite upgrade! With a pledge of $75, we can include a GPS tracking device that will work at 100,000 feet! In the past, we've had to use a GPS tracker that only works to 20,000 feet! Help us upgrade, and in return, we will call you with updates on launch day (U.S. residents only.) Also, we will send you a link to download all of the pictures captured during the entire flight!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $250 or more
1 backer All gone!
A pledge of $250 will allow us to purchase a humongous and bodacious weather balloon! In return, we'll send you the Ninja Turtle that went to space, a DVD with all the pictures and HD video footage captured during the flight!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012Pledge $500 or more
1 backer All gone!
Pledge $500, and you can brand the stabilization fin/tail on the payload container! We'll also program the flight computer to send you email or sms updates as it travels across Oregon and up to 111,000 feet. We will send you every picture taken by the camera aboard the payload, all of the HD footage, all of the pictures from the adventurous balloon chase across Oregon, and a poster of the best picture taken of the earth signed by the whole team!
Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
