Collaborate Disseminate
High-altitude platform stations (HAPS) are effective tools for communication and surveillance because they operate from the stratosphere, usually at around 12 miles (20 km) above the Earth, much closer than satellites. There are two types of HAPS: ligh… Continue reading “Sailing the winds”: How stratospheric balloons navigate the skies
When the US Air Force shot down some suspected Chinese spy balloons a couple of weeks ago, it was widely reported that one of the targets might have been a …read more Continue reading Answering Some Pico Balloon Questions
Every week the Hackaday editors gather online to discuss the tech stories of the moment, and among the topics this week was the balloons shot down over North America that …read more Continue reading The USAF (Almost) Declares War on Illinois Radio Amateurs
The U.S. said it has no high altitude balloons above China, but that doesn’t mean the technology doesn’t exist. Continue reading US Military Swears It’s Not Spying on China With Balloons It Spent Millions Developing
So, maybe right now isn’t the best time to get into the high-altitude ballooning hobby? At least in the US, which with the downing of another — whatever? — over …read more Continue reading Hackaday Links: February 12, 2023
We’ve seen all kinds of interfaces come and go over the years, from keyboards and mice to lightpens and touchscreens. Now, a group of researchers at the University of Tokyo …read more Continue reading Balloons Are The User Interface Of The Future
When NASA’s high-altitude balloon lifts off from Antarctica in December 2023 at the start of its up to four-week voyage over the South Pole, it will carry the Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimet… Continue reading Stratospheric balloon to lift telescope with giant mirror over Antarctica
When it comes to taking high-res aerial photographs, we generally look to satellites, drones or full-size aircraft. Colorado-based Urban Sky’s new Microballoon system, however, is claimed to deliver higher-resolution images at a much lower cost.Continu… Continue reading Reusable “Microballoons” could give satellites a run for their money
As handy as multicopter drones are, the endlessly spinning blades are noisy, energy-intensive and potentially dangerous. Balloons could be a good alternative to do at least a few jobs other drones can do – namely, shoot video and look cool – and now Ja… Continue reading NTT Docomo balloon drone gets around using ultrasonic propulsion
While the Hubble Space Telescope has provided us with a wealth of data, getting it into orbit and servicing it have proven to be very expensive. The SuperBIT telescope is an intriguing alternative, as it hangs beneath a balloon instead of being launche… Continue reading Balloon-borne telescope promises Hubble-like images on a budget