Romanian Teenager Puts Space Shuttle Back in Space

On January 5, 2012, Raul Oaida posted the following update to his blog:

On the 31st of December I launched the Black Sky project payload with two HD cameras. I recovered the rig ~240km away (320 km on the highway) in excellent condition from a hillin a remote area. I wasn’t able to use the NewTrent external battery for extra camera videotaping time so the 2:20 h video cuts out before the balloon burst at about 30-33km. I used a 1600g balloon with a SPOT GPS tracker for the recovery. I will submit a more detailed posted after the 16GB in flight video is edited and uploaded to youtube, the ”payload” was a LEGO space shuttle.

About a month later, he posted the embedded video to YouTube. The entry on his blog from that date kinda says it all:

This was all done by me.

He had problems getting the necessary permits in his native Romania, so the launch took place in Germany.

2001: A Brick Odyssey

[Thanks, Alan Dove!]

9 Responses to Romanian Teenager Puts Space Shuttle Back in Space

mrp on March 8th, 2012 at 11:38 am said:

Felicitari prietene, imi pare rau ca nu ai reusit sa faci asta acasa acasa

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Susan Bluerobot on March 8th, 2012 at 12:25 pm said:

this is not real look at the strings

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- Sean Ragan on March 8th, 2012 at 12:29 pm said:
  
  LOL. You’re kidding, right?
  
  If not, just watch the video. The shuttle is hanging from a high altitude balloon by strings, along with the video camera that got the pictures. =]
  
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- HCD on March 14th, 2012 at 11:09 pm said:
  
  Susan, you must be blonde
  
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High Power Rocketry on March 9th, 2012 at 3:18 pm said:

100 KM is space. Please stop spreading misinformation. Every month or so, someone launches a helium balloon with a camera. While it is always cool, and worthy of news, the ignorant media always claims space.

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- Sean Ragan on March 9th, 2012 at 4:08 pm said:
  
  Per wikipedia:
  
  “There is no firm boundary where space begins. However the K�rm�n line, at an altitude of 100 kilometres above sea level, is conventionally used as the start of outer space for the purpose of space treaties and aerospace records keeping.”
  
  Neither treaties nor aerospace records are at issue, here. Nor, I would add, did we use the more specific term “outer space.” We have not spread misinformation, nor are we “ignorant.”
  
  You might as well argue that the Romainian teenager in question did not, in fact, put the actual space shuttle back in space, but a Lego replica of it, and that the headline is thus “spreading misinformation.” Our headlines tell stories; if we wanted them to read like titles in a scientific journal we would write them that way.
  
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Frederick on March 14th, 2012 at 2:38 pm said:

this is so amazingly awesome. fills my heart with joy, it does.

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Wes on March 14th, 2012 at 3:47 pm said:

Strauss! that really makes this video. I got goosebumps..

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Todd Stowe on March 15th, 2012 at 5:46 pm said:

There is a forum for those who are interested in doing projects like this. Go to http://hab-ham.org/forum/

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