Tumblr 101: Tips And Tricks To Get Started
Sebastian Thrun: Google's Driverless Car
Amateurs Send First HD Camcorder Into Space via Balloon
If you're afraid of heights (or easily nauseated), this story might not be for you. On August 23rd, a group of amateur radio enthusiasts in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, took a high-definition video camera to new heights, literally. Reaching 107,145 feet with the help of a hydrogen balloon, this hi-def footage features some amazing views from the edge of outer space. According to Gizmodo, the BEAR-4 project resulted in the first amateur footage captured at such an elevation. These amateur engineers housed a Canon Vixia-HF camcorder inside some foam blocks. Then, they attached the unit to an 1,800-gram balloon and launched it into the sky. The flight lasted about four hours, but thankfully, the highlights have been edited into an incredible (and much shorter) 10-minute clip (after the break).
This isn't the first time a few smart folks launched a camera high in the sky, but the BEAR-4 shots are certainly the most impressive. Jaw-dropping is the only way to describe the resulting footage. (If you listen closely, you'll even hear the balloon burst.) [From: BEAR-4 via: Gizmodo]
PHOTOS: Best And Worst Of Grammy Dresses
Whitney Houston Dead: Singer Dies at 48, Body Found in Beverly Hilton Hotel
LINSANITY CONTINUES
Whitney Houston Autopsy: Cause of Death Determined?
Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina: Late Singer's Daughter Hospitalized
Whitney Houston Dead: Stars React to Legend's Sudden Death
Grammy Red Carpet 2012 (PHOTOS)
Grammy 2012 Winners' List: Adele Sweeps Music's Biggest Night
Jennifer Hudson Whitney Tribute: Grammy President Reveals Why Singer Was Chosen for Musical Memorial
Katy Perry Grammy Performance 2012: Did the Diva Diss Her Ex-Hubby With Revealing New Song?
5-Hour Energy: A Success Equal Parts Caffeine, Chemistry and Meditation
People With Easy-To-Pronounce Names More Likely To Succeed, Study Says
Comments
3
Subscribe to commentsBrianSep 25th 2009 9:41AM
Ohhhh... so twisty.
pnut166Sep 25th 2009 1:06PM
This somehow seems fake. The small scrap of foam in the bottom right of view never flaps - it looks like a small ragged edge, but never moves, even during freefall. Also, questionable that an off-the-shelf camera could withstand the enviromental extremes experienced in such a flight. At 100k+ feet, extremely cold. Camera went from warm climate to cold to warm again in a very short time. Battery functioned in extreme cold, as well. Condensation never formed on lens or inside camera, apparently. And how did they send a camera 19 miles up, then be standing under it when it fell? Going to the edge of space, traveling through the jet stream over several hours and then back, it easily could have landed hundreds of miles away. Was it parachute - rigged? If not, the thing would have been going hundreds of MPH on decent; vibration would not have allowed operation for sure, and a foam block sure as hell wouldn`t save it on impact (although it does appear to be parachute enabled). If this is real, Canon needs to use this in it`s advertising - that`s one tough damn camera!
pnut166Sep 25th 2009 1:14PM
Clicked the link to their website - I stand corrected, mostly. Their page explains in much more detail, naturally. Answers most of the above questions. Bravo, guys!