A giant helium balloon was launched from the SUNY E-S-F campus at the end of April. It was unknown if the attached pay-loader, with a computer, camera and science experiments inside, would ever be found. That's until a hiker came across the module in a swamp near Cortland.
Fortunately the equipment in the small module covered with duct tape was pretty much intact. The research was headed up by Professor Giorgos Mountrakis. He and the students are seeing if the photos are of sufficient quality to be useful for scientists. It could be a better and less expensive way to take pictures of earth, for scientific, development, agriculture or other uses, than the more-expensive use of satellite imagery.
The balloon appears to have traveled 110,000 feet up, well into the stratosphere. It was launched by an engineering class that was taking part in an international challenge. classes from 17 countries entered.
