Led by Kevin Macko, a San Francisco-based space exploration team of engineers and designers, known as the Astronewts, launched a balloon into the sky in June 2010 from Davenport, California that was carrying two GoPro HD Hero cameras. At the peak altitude of 80,000 feet, the balloon burst causing it to fall back to Earth, all the while, the cameras wre capturing footage to its landing spot 70 miles away in Crows Landing. In this video, watch that amazing footage that the cameras caught on their way up and down.
The Astronewts are a dedicated motley crue of engineers from various disciplines and interests. In particular, we are all balloon enthusiasts, eager to push the boundaries of near space videography. The products of this site are a culmination of many hours of tinkering and testing, from machine shops to rooftops.