Google in Space

Google has so many Nexus Ss they have started sending them into space!
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/12/android-in-spaaaace.html

It looks like they got a little help from the guys at project HIBAL whom we met at Maker's Faire 2010. http://android.hibal.org/.
Good for them!

P.S. Google, if you'd like to donate a Nexus S, we'd gladly launch it as well. Just putting it out there.

SpaceBridge Pi Images

After much trekking we finally retrieved our payload. I even got an opportunity to flex my underutilized Spanish skilz. It landed across the street from the prison in Soledad, CA. We released at 6:24AM and it landed around 9:17AM. As far as we know it reached an estimated maximum altitude of 75,000 feet and traveled over 100 miles.

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The images can also be found on my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/schjlatah/sets/72157625267070925/

SpaceBridge Pi Launch Successful

The release and launch were a success!
We released the balloon at 6:23AM PST, right around dawn.
The balloon is in the air and ascending v e r y s l o w l y.
We launched from the ITT parking lot in Lathrop and it is currently heading due south -- exactly where I don't want it to go.
Current estimates are that it will land somewhere near between the 101 and Henry Coe State Park.

The balloon can be tracked live here: http://aprs.fi/?call=KJ6ERK-11&mt=roadmap&z=11&timerange=3600

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SpaceBridge Pi Prelaunch

I'm here at the Denny's in Lathrop, California an hour and a half before everyone else arrives. I have the entire back room to myself and have internet by tethering my Nexus One, so I'll be here hacking until more SpaceBridgers arrive.

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SpaceBridge Pi Launch Planned

We have now launched in the day, near sundown and at night; now we must launch at dawn.
The plan is to launch this coming Saturday at 6AM from Tracy. We will meet at Noisebridge at 3AM, then try setting up at the site ~4:30AM, then wait until just before dawn and launch. We will have a horizontal facing camera and a downward facing IR camera with a .35x fisheye.