A Styrofoam Spaceship? MSU Filmmaker Launches a Childhood Dream

WKAR Public Media | By Kevin Lavery

Published November 28, 2012 at 5:42 PM EST

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Troy Hale tests the parachute atop a parking ramp at Michigan State University

Jef Richards

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"3, 2, 1...launch!"

Jef Richards

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The payload glides above MSU before landing.

Jef Richards

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The balloon payload includes several digital cameras to document the experience of lifting 100,000 feet into space.

Troy Hale

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Troy Hale tests the parachute before his field test.

Jef Richards

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A view from the payload!

Jef Richards

As a young boy growing up in the Netherlands, Troy Hale once released a balloon with his name and address attached in hopes that someone, somewhere would find it. No one ever did. Now, decades later, he’s trying something like that again.

Hale is now a media specialist at Michigan State University. On Thursday, he'll launch a homemade helium balloon outfitted with several digital cameras from a weather station in Pontiac. He hopes to send it to 100,000 feet to document the experience of going into space.

Visit the project site atwww.SpaceBalloon.cas.msu.edu

View live GPS tracking beginning approx. noon Thursday (11/29) at
MSU SpaceBalloon SPOT Shared Page