back to article Brit amateur payload set to complete full circle around PLANET EARTH

It's a tip of the hat today to Brit High Altitude Ballooning (HAB) bod Leo Bodnar, whose B-64 payload is poised to complete an epic 25,000km circumnavigation of the globe. B-64 - comprising a 12g solar-powered radio tracker rig - lifted off on 12 July from near Silverstone, Northamptonshire. Its most recent position showed it …

  1. stsr505089

    25000 km is definitely space, 25,000 m is about right for a balloon.

    1. No, I will not fix your computer

      Ahhh... the old "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" misunderstanding, just in the sky instead of under the water.

  2. Tom_

    Unless...

    Maybe they're claiming it's 25,000km around the Earth.

    Small world, innit?

    1. stsr505089

      Re: Unless...

      Its me, getting old, the mind is going.......

    2. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Re: Unless...

      40,000km if it travelled the equator, but since it didn't, and the distance is around 28,000km at 45 degs latitude, 25k sounds about right to me.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Pfffrrrtttt

    It didn't even carry a pint of beer.

    1. Anonymous Custard

      Re: Pfffrrrtttt

      Nor any race or creed of small plastic pilot...

      I mean, where's the fun in that?

  4. JimmyPage Silver badge
    Happy

    I have to write *something*

    as I need to express my delight as stories like this ->

    1. MyffyW Silver badge
      Mushroom

      99 Luftballons

      Likewise, congratulations on circumnavigating the globe. Additional marks for not starting any further conflicts.

      "Have you some time for me,

      then I'll sing a song for you

      about 99 balloons"

  5. Vortex
    Pint

    Wunderbra!

    Is B-64 going to circumnavigate the earth forever, or is there some kind of BRASTRAP technology to somehow permit recovery of the "gubbins"? If not, you missed a technology licensing opportunity.

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Re: Wunderbra!

      A good question. I think It'll just continue its lonely wanderings until floating into history.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Close call...

    Judging by it's route over the Eastern Block it was bloody luck not to be shot down!

    1. stucs201

      Re: Close call...

      Just imagine the trouble that would have been caused if it'd been B-52, not B-64 flying over certain countries.

  7. Lionel Baden

    map looks wrong

    its shifted left by about 25%

    1. Martin Budden Silver badge
      Trollface

      Re: map looks wrong

      Worse than that, it's upside down! This is how it should look.

      1. Lionel Baden

        Re: map looks wrong

        Worthy of an upvote and a congratulatory comment :)

  8. Pete 2 Silver badge

    Just to make it interesting

    What we need now is a race.

    If yachts can mount round the world races, there should be scope for HAB-ers (?) to do the same. Hopefully at much lower cost.

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Re: Just to make it interesting

      That's a fine idea, assuming everyone launches from the same point at the same time. Hmmmm...

      1. Anonymous Custard

        Re: Just to make it interesting

        And a suitably large forest to land in... ;-)

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Just to make it interesting

        Hmmm, you mean some kind of high-alitude, high-tech, trans-continental game of poo sticks?

        1. no-one in particular

          Re: Just to make it interesting

          Pooh Sticks may be more socially acceptable.

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

            Re: Just to make it interesting

            Upvoted because you made I larf.

            Visions of large turds floating through sky has serious overtones of Monty Python.

  9. synonymous cowherd
    Pint

    way to go

    Have a very large beer on us

  10. MaXimaN
    Go

    Yay!

    It's made it across the briny deep and is within striking distance of Penzance! the tracker is predicting a burst and landing not far from it's current position. I sincerely hope the tracker has miscalculated...

    http://spacenear.us/tracker/?filter=B-64

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Yay!

      The burst predictions are for latex balloons, this is a foil balloon so the prediction algorithm doesn't apply here, just ignore it.

      The question is how long will the battery / solar panels work for?

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Its made it across the Atlantic

    Currently tracking South West of the Penzance and getting picked up by Irish APRS iGates.

    http://spacenear.us/tracker/

    http://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FM0XER-4&timerange=604800&tail=604800

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Its made it across the Atlantic

      My post took too long to be approved/uploaded, someone else bet me too it.

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