I met up with my mom and Opti at my old softball haunt, Oakwood Elementary School for a Weather Balloon Launch being done in partnership with The Works a cool little engineering museum Opti visited with his fourth grade class. The Works had activities inside, including making harmonicas, and pre launch we listened to a short presentation on how the balloons react to the changing pressure with altitude, how they get back to earth and what data the payload records. They totally lucked out with the weather and both balloons were successfully launched.
I was curious to know if they needed FAA clearance (living by an airport makes you wonder these sorts of things) for their sending of floating objects up into the airspace, and was informed that no, you don’t. “Its sort of like the Wild West up there, but we did give them a heads up we were doing this today.”
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This is the second set of balloons launched by B.H.A.L.D.I, apparently the brainchild of two bald men with enough time on their hands to coordinate a science project involving a bunch of gadgets on the side. Their website has video captured on the previous mission and still photos from both.
The video I shot on my phone of the second balloon and payload launch is on you tube.
