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h2. About the mission
*9 APRIL 2011: KiwiSpace Foundation has successfully launched a helium balloon above the Waikato and recovered its payload of cameras, tracking equipment and breathtaking images from the edge of space.*
While the MetService launches meteorological balloons regularly, KiwiSpace believes this is the first balloon launched with the goal of capturing images of New Zealand and space ferom very high altitudes.
We chose to launch the balloon on Sunday to honour the golden anniversary of human spaceflight and to celebrate the official incorporation of the Foundation. Fifty years ago on April 12, 1961, Russian Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space when he boarded spacecraft Vostok-1 and blasted off at 6:07am UTC (6:07pm NZST). He made a single orbit of the Earth and touched down again safely in the rural USSR 108 minutes later.
The balloon was launched at 8:48am on the morning of Sunday 10th April, climbed to over 51,000 feet (15.5km) before popping and landing just east of Pirongia, near Hamilton. Recovery teams reached the payload at 11:12am and were delighted to find it intact and still taking pictures.
The mission, excluding time volunteered by the project team, has cost around $3000, and has been funded by members and sponsors.
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h5. Latest updates
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No recent updates to the page or project.
Stay tuned as we post more video and photos from the launch.
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h2. Photos and Video
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h2. Flight Path
*Map showing ground-track of the balloon. Each red dot represents a data packet received over the amateur radio APRS network, indicating position and altitude. Launch was from the north, near Taupiri.*
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*3D rendering showing the flight-path of the balloon, and key milestones.*
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h2. The Payload
This first launch was a lightweight payload of around 520 grams, containing:
* Canon digital camera, with custom firmware to provide time-lapse photography;
* GPS and altimeter that transmitted the balloon's location and altitude using the amateur radio Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS);
* Radio beacon to assist with directional location by the recovery crews; and
* Mobile phone, to provide additional location information and pictures.
Future launches will include additional high-resolution cameras, and more advanced tracking and release mechanisms
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!PORTAL:SHARED IMAGES^kiwispace_tightvertical_160x160_transparent.gif!
KiwiSpace Foundation is a new Zealanders.
[!http://www.kiwispace.org.nz/mark/images/becomeamember.png|width=160,border=0!|Membership and Support]
Get involved, and become a Supporting Member for only *$30/year*.
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h5. Want to get involved?
We hope to do a series of launches involving schools in the future. If you're a teacher, student, sponsor or enthusiast and interested in helping out with future launches, please *[get in touch|PORTAL:Contact Us]*.
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h5. Major Sponsors
[!http://www.ch-photo.co.uk/images/Canon_logo.jpg|width=160!|http://www.canon.co.nz/]
[!http://www.propellerhead.co.nz/images/logo.jpg|width=160!|http://www.propellerhead.co.nz]
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h5. The Team
_Core Project Team_
Will Leizerowicz (Lead)
Alex Heffer
André Pointon
_Recovery_
Mark Mackay
Phill King, Hamilton Amateur Radio Club
_Support_
Greg Clark, Bigredbee
Richard Munro, NZ Aerosports
Damien Poppelwell, Excellent Software
Perin Melchior, Kiteworks
Ross Browne, LandSAR
Barry Were, LandSAR
Mike Conner, NSTAR
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