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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: RocketMan on March 27, 2010, 02:54:28 PM

Title: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: RocketMan on March 27, 2010, 02:54:28 PM: Here is something interesting that an inquisitive gentleman in England was able to do: He developed a method for photographing the Earth from the edge of space. On the cheap, for approximately $750 USD.
He has managed to take some very cool digital photos from 22 miles up.

Stories on MSNBC here (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/36063922#36049710) and here (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/36063922#36063922).
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: TechMan on March 27, 2010, 07:58:19 PM: I saw that this morning and thought it was pretty cool.

I know it was a balloon he sent up, but a side question for you Rocketman. How far up in the atmosphere do your rockets usually go?
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: RocketMan on March 27, 2010, 08:01:51 PM: Mine personally, not more than a few thousand feet. I'm too lazy to walk that far to recover my rockets. However, there are a lot of high power enthusiasts that routinely go 50k or more. The record, IIRC, is well in excess of 100k for an amateur rocket.
Our launch site east of Bend, OR, near Brothers, has an FAA waiver to 35k ASL.
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: TechMan on March 27, 2010, 08:12:49 PM: Thank you.....I always wondered.
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: RocketMan on March 27, 2010, 08:23:34 PM: You are welcome, sir.
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: eyebrows on March 28, 2010, 09:29:33 AM: Quote
Our launch site east of Bend, OR, near Brothers, has an FAA waiver to 35k ASL.
Does that mean you can shoot to 35k anytime you feel like it or do you have to call and warn them.

We used to launch rockets at our old house 'cept there was always a horizontal element to our launches :lol:
I've got fine memories of a SR-71(?) Blackbird screaming along at about 10'.
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: RocketMan on March 28, 2010, 02:24:53 PM: We must call the FAA and activate the waiver before any launch activities, and they are always very cooperative. The high power rocketry community has a pretty decent relationship with the FAA.

On an interesting side note, the Air Force Reserve wing down at Klamath Falls uses that area for training flights. A number of years ago they asked if they could fly around our site in their F-15s while we were launching some of our bigger rockets. They thought it would give the pilots an idea of what SAM launches look like.
While the idea had a certain "cool" factor to it, we had to turn them down as it would have violated safety codes.
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: S. Williamson on March 28, 2010, 03:20:33 PM: Oh COME ON!!! :mad:

:laugh:
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: S. Williamson on March 28, 2010, 03:25:55 PM: Also, this raises some VERY interesting points on space travel I hadn't thought of before... =)
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: AJ Dual on March 28, 2010, 09:37:40 PM: Quote from: Dionysusigma on March 28, 2010, 03:25:55 PM
Also, this raises some VERY interesting points on space travel I hadn't thought of before... =)

Oh... the "Rockoons". Yeah, the idea has been bandied about for awhile now. Two main criteria need to be met.

1. Reliable release mechanism.

2. VERY RELIABLE ignition mechanism. =D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockoon

Getting one "man rated" will be a challenge, to say the least.
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: sanglant on March 28, 2010, 11:13:11 PM: there's always the strap it on a 7E7(i think that was the latest ???) and launch it like a sidewinder. =D

changed it to 787 (http://www.boeing.com/commercial/787family/)? wth [tinfoil]
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: S. Williamson on March 29, 2010, 05:04:52 AM: Quote from: AJ Dual on March 28, 2010, 09:37:40 PM
Oh... the "Rockoons". Yeah, the idea has been bandied about for awhile now. Two main criteria need to be met.

1. Reliable release mechanism.

2. VERY RELIABLE ignition mechanism. =D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockoon

Getting one "man rated" will be a challenge, to say the least.
More of an issue is not that it uses less fuel to get altitude, but that when it *is* at launch altitude, it has nearly zero velocity. Takes a crapload of speed to get to a suitable orbit.
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: AJ Dual on March 29, 2010, 08:32:36 AM: Quote from: Dionysusigma on March 29, 2010, 05:04:52 AM
More of an issue is not that it uses less fuel to get altitude, but that when it *is* at launch altitude, it has nearly zero velocity. Takes a crapload of speed to get to a suitable orbit.

I dunno... If you could get the balloon into the jet-stream, it could pick up a fair bit. Although the north polar/temperate jet stream is the faster and more reliable one, but then you're robbing yourself of the equatorial spin velocity of the earth which is better. And the speeds are variable, anywhere from 50 to 200 mph. Plus there's the northerly and southerly dips in it which would work against you too.

Just better to use a plane/air-breathing first stage.
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: 280plus on March 29, 2010, 08:38:14 AM: I have yet to see a picture of the device he put together. Anyone else? I'd love to see what it looked like.
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: S. Williamson on March 29, 2010, 09:29:52 AM: Shoebox wrapped in duct tape, basically
Title: Re: Viewing Earth from the edge of space, on the cheap
Post by: 280plus on March 29, 2010, 10:12:22 AM: Cool, thanks!