Posted on 10/27/2011 8:26:13 AM PDT by SanFranDan
The record for the highest altitude powered airship has just ballooned to an amazing 95,085 feet (18 miles) – the edge of space.
Incredibly, the feat was achieved by volunteer space enthusiasts for the not-so-astronomical sum of $30,000 (£19,000).
Called Tandem and made by California-based JP Aerospace, it took off from Nevada’s Black Rock desert last Saturday and broke the airship altitude record by over 20,000 feet (four miles).
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Where is the BB gun for descent?
In related news...
http://www.stratofox.org/events/cnsp10/
Stratofox successfully recovers California Near Space Project CNSP-10/K6RPT-11 balloon, October 23, 2011
(excerpt)
Stratofox provided tracking and recovery assistance for the California Near Space Project “CNSP-10” (callsign K6RPT-11) balloon flight on October 23, 2011. We hope this will inspire interested readers from the public to pursue Amateur Radio. This isn’t your grandfather’s Ham Radio. Today Ham Radio can even be a space program if you want it to.
CNSP set a new Amateur Radio balloon altitude world record, now at 136,545’.
The previous record by Cornell University with a 3-story tall Mylar ZPE (zero pressure envelope) balloon was 135,030’.
JP Aerospace’s goal is to create an airship that will reach lowe earth orbit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4dsvreDTsI
I always wondered if a zeppelin could do it.
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