At times MIT student do crazy stuff that turns out to be a path setter later. To an extent such is the feat that Justin Lee and Oliver Yeh achieved in the project Icarus. In pursuit to develop a low cost and minimum effort device for space photography, the two combined a $50 GPS-equipped Motorola i290 cellphone to a Canon A470 camera and launched it into space attached to a helium filled weather balloons.
The balloon-camera-cellphone device managed an altitude of 18 miles before taking the breathtaking pictures of the Earth’s curvature and then returning back to the planet. To keep the device safe from the extreme space temperatures the students used styrofoam cooler and handwarmers pressed tightly against operating electronics. The duo plans to launch again with a hope that their achievements would inspire others to pursue similar endeavors. More info on their website.
