There’s not much more to say than to tell you to check out this website.
Basically, a bunch of amateur radio operators got together and decided they wanted to send balloons into the upper, upper atmosphere with cameras attached. They built the apparatus themselves and experimented with different GPS and radio-tracking components. They have done four of these flights so far and reached an altitude of over 116,000 feet on their third flight. (That’s over 22 miles high.) Their most recent attempt was with a guy from Japan who spoke no English but saw their website, expressed interest, and flew to Canada to work with the BEAR crew. He bought a Hi-Def video camera and helped build the apparatus that would take it aloft. The edited video fo that flight can be seen here.
How freaking cool is it that a bunch of amateurs can fly a small balloon to the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere? Pretty freaking cool if you ask me!
