back to article Brit balloon bod Bodnar overflies North Pole

Hats must be tipped today in tribute to Brit balloon bod Leo Bodnar, whose ultralight B-64 payload is about to complete its second circumnavigation of the planet. The 11g B-64 rig – comprising radio transmitter, LiPo battery and a couple of solar panels slung under a transparent film envelope (pics here) – launched on 12 July …

  1. Ben Bonsall

    Any plans to get LOHAN somewhere in the vicinity of a pole?

    1. Peter Simpson 1

      Erm...I thought LOHAN slides off one during launch?

  2. 0laf
    Pint

    A double B+

    Top class Boffinry with advanced Bodging. A pint to that man!

  3. A K Stiles
    Thumb Up

    Routing

    I'm impressed that it keeps circling back to cut across Blighty (I'm projecting from it's current local on the west coast of Ireland) - we're not exactly a giant target on the global scale, but clearly the Jet Stream or whatever those high altitude winds are called (IANAMeteorologist) just love this little island.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Routing

      And did he purposely steer it over the North Pole, or just got extremely lucky?

    2. A K Stiles
      Pint

      Dammit - 'locale'

      or maybe I do mean 'local' - it being Ireland and all. Though possibly not at 40,000 feet.

    3. Jonathan Richards 1

      Re: Routing

      > I'm impressed that it keeps circling back to cut across Blighty

      Yes, me too. With the entire Northern Hemisphere to choose from (in theory) the vehicle apparently passed within *3 km* of its launch site on this circuit.

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

        Re: Re: Routing

        Yeah, they're using the same team that faked the Moon landings.

  4. NoneSuch Silver badge
    Happy

    When is the El Reg Man on the Moon Kickstarter getting started. Only Elon Musk is ahead of your advanced space exploration platforms at this point.

  5. bminish

    Local

    It got within 12Km of my House and as a fully licensed anorak I was able to track it on packet radio, Still hearing it although it's now about 50km away

  6. JeffyPoooh
    Pint

    Iceland now?

    It's gonna get Bunga-Bunga'd by BardarBungaBunga.

  7. bminish

    Wizard Anorak engineering by the builder. I was able to hear and track it out to 274Km. The builder did a great job with the Radio engineering.

    As an added bonus, at this stage it looks like there are good odds on it overflying the original launch site too.

  8. NukEvil

    Hmmm

    Haven't heard any tele data from it in 4 days, last reported position was over Russia, near kargopol...

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