Microsoft Interns send a balloon to the edge of space, with the help of Surface, Bing apps, and more

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Published onAugust 10, 2014

published onAugust 10, 2014

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Today, August 9th at noon PT, a team of interns at Microsoft launched a balloon to the edge of space. David Rappaport, an intern at Microsoft had the idea to send a camera to space on a balloon. This was originally supposed to be a small pet project of David’s, but it grew to become much more.

By the end, this project involved many different Microsoft technologies such as Surface, Microsoft Azure, Internet Explorer and Bing apps, all to create an interactive experience. The FAA was even involved to ensure all federal guidelines were followed. The public were invited to help the team control the camera. A website was also created to stream live video of the flight.

Thewebsitenow has video from the flight posted (see embedded video below). A chat system allows anyone to vote on where to point the camera. The site also posts the longitude and latitude of the balloon. The project also involves custom fiberglass and foam frame to hold the payload. Some of the details of their flight are on their site, but the rest will be released in a detailed technical write-up. As a bonus, the team added a ‘beloved Xbox character’ to the payload whose identity was a mystery before launch.

What do you think? Cool project? Have you ever done anything like this? Let us know in the comments below!

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).

For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.

Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.

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Microsoft Interns send a balloon to the edge of space, with the help of Surface, Bing apps, and more