Who needs Newt?
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:58 am
Two Canadian high school students have launched a Lego man almost 25 kilometres above sea level - high enough to capture video of the plastic toy hovering above the curvature of the Earth.
Now the results of their experiment have gone viral, racking up more than 600,000 views on YouTube in just two days and inspiring a Facebook page.
A Lego man is launched into space in this combination photo of still images taken from video. Photo: Reuters
The Toronto Star reports that the two teens, Matthew Ho and Asad Muhammed spent 4½ months working on the project.
They told the Star the hardest part was hand sewing the parachute.
They also constructed a lightweight Styrofoam box to carry three point-and-shoot cameras, a wide-angle video camera and a mobile phone with a downloadable GPS app.
They purchased a professional weather balloon for $C85 ($A79.70) online while the helium that would lift it up came from a party supply store.
For launch, they put two mitten warmers in the Styrofoam box to keep the cameras working at altitude.
The project cost about $C400.
The two waited until weather conditions would ensure the Lego man would land in Canada and not somewhere in the US because they didn't want to take their chances with US Homeland Security, the Star reported.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-te ... z1kuGgYB1d
That's what I get for working instead of posting, lulz!