Flight to the edge of space!

On Friday 21st June 2013, a team of d'Overbroeck's staff and A level chemistry students, led by teacher Stephen Belding, launched a weather balloon as part of an ambitious experiment to record and analyse atmospheric data.

The helium-filled latex balloon carried a small polystyrene payload (see photos below) containing a camera (programmed to take photographs every 30 seconds for a period of 3 hours), a GPS tracker (to determine the location of the fallen balloon after the flight), a data logger (to record the temperature, pressure and humidity every 10 seconds) and two intrepid lego figures belonging to teacher Max Parsonage's grandson.

With the appropriate authorities informed and weather patterns checked, the balloon was released. Two and a half hours later it returned safely to Earth, along with some quite spectacular photos, such as those below.

Congratulations to Stephen and the team (in particular student Joe Wolfensohn who had the idea) for a very successful experiment!

Some interesting facts about the experiment

• At the earth's surface, the balloon was 1.8 metres in diameter, becoming bigger until, having reached its highest altitude, it burst. Just before it burst, its diameter would have grown to about 10 metres.
• During the flight, the temperature was expected to drop to around -60^oC. At this temperature everyday electronic equipment (like the camera) stops working. Stephen and his team therefore had to use special chemicals to heat the inside of the payload during the flight.
• The balloon took 2 hours 20 minutes to reach its maximum altitude (travelling at 6.54 mph) and 50 minutes to descend (travelling at 11.2mph). 
• The GPS trail below shows how it travelled throughout its journey, taking off from Wolvercote (north of Oxford) and landing near Brize Norton.