Barnstable High School Students Launch Balloon Into Near-Space

SPACEBARNSTABLE – Students at Barnstable High School were thinking big when they undertook a recent science project.

With help from teacher Michael Gyra, students inflated a balloon, attached a GoPro camera to it, and launched it into near-space.

Students were able to retrieve the camera when it fell safely to earth after the balloon broke up in the atmosphere, thanks to some precise calculations on the camera’s landing spot by student Rory Trimble.

“[Trimble] projected that if we launched from Putnam or South Woodstock, Connecticut, it would land in the Brockton area following the winds, and he was only off by a few miles. He did a spectacular job,” Gyra said.

The camera landed in a tree in Rockland.

The balloon was inflated to about five feet in diameter at launch, and Gyra said it expanded to about 20 to 25 feet in the atmosphere. Gyra estimates the balloon made it about 70,000 feet before breaking up.

A video has been made with footage of the balloon’s journey into space. You can watch the video here.



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