By A little over a week ago we mentioned that Andy tried to get his Astronaut Wings, he didn’t quite make it; but that doesn’t mean what was going on wasn’t awesome. Quite the opposite.
Phandroid just received an email giving us a much better glimpse into what went down.
Very cool, definitely worth the 1:44 of your time.
Some of the fun statistics reported by Google Mobile:
- In tracking the sensors on each of the phones, we observed that the GPS in Nexus S could function up to altitudes of about 60,000 ft. and would actually start working again on the balloon’s descent. We also saw that Nexus S could withstand some pretty harsh temperatures (as low as -50˚C). Some interesting data we collected:
- Maximum Speed: 139 mph
- Maximum Altitude: 107,375 ft (over 20 miles, over 30 km)
- Maximum Ascent Rate: 5.44 m/s
- Average Flight Duration: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Average Descent Time: 34 minutes
[Thanks, Jonathan!]
To get the phone NEXUS S
First to get the phone NEXUS S
I don’t know what your talking about NEXUS S
I want a Dead Zebra Andy toy!
Sigh – but someone already did send their android phone up before these guys did. I thought I had gotten the link to it here? So once again:
http://www.switched.com/2010/02/13/diy-android-balloon-launches-70k-feet-into-earths-atmosphere/
Amazing how short the attention span is here.
#5: Still, a very cool video.
Nexus S… whomever named that should be fired. That doesn’t roll at all. Nexus HD, Nexus II, any thing but S. Sounds like you are talking while eating…
NASA also sent a couple Nexus 1’s up to 30k ft strapped to a rocket to test for use as satellites.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/cell-phone-satellite/
@ADWheeler Photography Nexus II couldn’t have happened because Google said they’d never make a Nexus II/ Two
GPS units have an ITAR limit of either speed or altitude, 60K feet or 1000 knots, and it stops working unless you have a special GPS with those limits lifted. It’s to keep them from being used in a missile (except for slow easy to shoot down ones).
@ADWheelerPhotography
I think the S in NEXUS S stands for “s”econd. There was to be no nexus 2 but ther never said anything bout second
You mean the Nexus S…amsung?
I think the “s” stands for “s” as in “galaxy s”…this phone really isnt anything more than an enhanced version of the galaxy s line…take a look at the epic (in the closed position) and look at the nexus s…
yeah, I am just that smart!
The ITar limit can be bypassed on request…. we’ve done that for years using other gps units in our high altitude balloon launches… google the South Texas Balloon Launch Team for examples of our annual trips to the edge of space.
later,
mikey kk5sc