This article was taken from the July 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Canadian teenagers Asad Muhammad and Mathew Ho sent a Lego minifig 24,384 metres up (near-space) using a balloon. Ho explains how.
Keep it simple
"We used a box fixed to a parachute attached to a giant weather balloon," says Ho. Order the parachute from spherachutes.com and the balloon from kaymontballoons.com. The 350g model should be fine, but a bigger balloon will last longer in the air.
Be prepared
A party shop can supply the helium. The duo cut holes in the box for their camera lenses, which were held in place with Super Glue and set on automatic trigger with CHDK software. Drop in a cheap web-enabled mobile phone, then insulate the box.
Lift off!
Get permission from the Civil Aviation Authority to avoid launching your balloon into restricted airspace or colliding with another aircraft. Also, says Ho, "make sure the weather is right.
You need low winds so you don't get blown off course."
Retrieve it
When your balloon pops, there's no guarantee where it will land. "We used a free GPS app called Instamapper," says Ho. "You can download it for iPhone or Android and it can pinpoint the signal from the, web-enabled phone left in the container."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
