CNN producer Chris Erickson and his team partnered with technology enthusiast Desha Rogers to launch a video-equipped weather balloon in hopes of capturing video from the edge of space. The National Weather Service station at Peachtree City, Georgia, allowed CNN permission to assemble the balloon and launch from the site.
Balloon assembly/launch site —
CNN producer Chris Erickson and his team partnered with technology enthusiast Desha Rogers to launch a video-equipped weather balloon in hopes of capturing video from the edge of space. The National Weather Service station at Peachtree City, Georgia, allowed CNN permission to assemble the balloon and launch from the site.
Christina Walker/CNN
Erickson attaches a waterproof GoPro camera to a Styrofoam cooler. The cameras cost about $300 a piece and the cooler about $2. The tank on the right was used to fill the balloon with helium.
Putting the vehicle together —
Erickson attaches a waterproof GoPro camera to a Styrofoam cooler. The cameras cost about $300 a piece and the cooler about $2. The tank on the right was used to fill the balloon with helium.
Christina Walker/CNN
Inside the cooler: a Byonics APRS high altitude GPS tracking system. It uses amateur radio to send a signal with its telemetry data to HAM radio sites on the ground, which then sends it to the Internet where we can see it live. Also in the cooler is a G1 Android phone and a SPOT locator, which is used by mountain climbers to help rescuers find them during emergencies.
The payload —
Inside the cooler: a Byonics APRS high altitude GPS tracking system. It uses amateur radio to send a signal with its telemetry data to HAM radio sites on the ground, which then sends it to the Internet where we can see it live. Also in the cooler is a G1 Android phone and a SPOT locator, which is used by mountain climbers to help rescuers find them during emergencies.
Rogers, right, helps Erickson and hurricane tracker Mark Suddith of <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhurricanetrack.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">hurricanetrack.com </a>attach the balloon's tether to the Styrofoam container.
Attaching the container to the balloon —
Rogers, right, helps Erickson and hurricane tracker Mark Suddith of hurricanetrack.com attach the balloon's tether to the Styrofoam container.
Christina Walker/CNN
Sudduth and Rogers attach the parachute, while Rogers' 8-year-old son lends a hand.
The parachute —
Sudduth and Rogers attach the parachute, while Rogers' 8-year-old son lends a hand.
Christina Walker/CNN
The balloon, purchased online from Kaymont Balloons, is inflated with helium.
Inflating the balloon —
The balloon, purchased online from Kaymont Balloons, is inflated with helium.
Christina Walker/CNN
Yeager was released! The balloon climbed to 10,000 feet in no time. It was really hauling. But a tracker in Nevada reported that something had gone wrong and the balloon burst at about 66,000 feet up. To most people this would be great news. Not for us. Erickson and crew wanted 100,000 feet or more.
Lift off! —
Yeager was released! The balloon climbed to 10,000 feet in no time. It was really hauling. But a tracker in Nevada reported that something had gone wrong and the balloon burst at about 66,000 feet up. To most people this would be great news. Not for us. Erickson and crew wanted 100,000 feet or more.
Christina Walker/CNN
A convoy is assembled to begin the search for the parachute, the Styrofoam container and the camera equipment. Searchers hope to find the landing site by following location data sent by the onboard GPS equipment.
Recovery mission —
A convoy is assembled to begin the search for the parachute, the Styrofoam container and the camera equipment. Searchers hope to find the landing site by following location data sent by the onboard GPS equipment.
Christina Walker/CNN
Searchers go on foot as they close in on a location pinpointed by the data.
Search party heads out —
Searchers go on foot as they close in on a location pinpointed by the data.
Christina Walker/CNN
The search party discovers what appear to be remnants of the balloon vehicle.
Debris spotted! —
The search party discovers what appear to be remnants of the balloon vehicle.
Christina Walker/CNN
"We came upon the SPOT locator attached to a heap of parachute and balloon, mixed in with parts of the frame of the payload," says Sudduth. "However, there was no payload. It was not there."
Disappointment —
"We came upon the SPOT locator attached to a heap of parachute and balloon, mixed in with parts of the frame of the payload," says Sudduth. "However, there was no payload. It was not there."
Christina Walker/CNN
Searchers take to the Georgia forest to look for the missing and most valuable piece of the payload: the video cameras. So far, they haven't been recovered.
Searching for the payload —
Searchers take to the Georgia forest to look for the missing and most valuable piece of the payload: the video cameras. So far, they haven't been recovered.
Courtesy Mark Sudduth