Up, up and away !!!

Adam Webb, our coordinator for young adult programming, conducted a series of programs this summer focused on space exploration and aerodynamics. Using a tactile approach, Adam guided young patrons through the process of constructing paper airplanes, kites and finally a weather balloon. Yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, July 19), Adam launched the 1000 gram weather balloon for a short exploratory mission. Carrying its 2 ½ pound payload: an i-phone 3G, a tracking phone and a few hand-warmers to keep the electronics warm and functional in the -60 degree temperatures at the 100,000 foot apex, the balloon careened spaceward at an estimated 900 feet per second. Mr. Webb tracked the balloon's progress throughout the afternoon. It left Hot Springs heading toward the Ouachita National Forest. Though Mr. Webb lost the initial signal at around 18,000 feet on ascent, the balloon’s signal reappeared briefly at around 20,000 feet and then steadily near 5,000 feet on its descending path. Adam and a small band of amateur outdoorsmen: Chris Hough, Butch Smith and Scott Lewis set out to recover the balloon at 8:30. They were physically able to reach the vessel’s last coordinates, but have not yet been able to locate and retrieve its payload. Still, it was hardly a wasted trip. On the fringes on the Ouachita National Forest away from the pollution of city lights, the Milky Way spills into puddles of light across the apparently diamond studded sky-scape. That sight alone was well worth a couple of tick bites, a few hours on the road and the occasional spider web across the face. Meanwhile, Adam plans to head back to the probe's last known location on Thursday morning to continue the search, which he hopes will yield some equally magnificent pictures (the probe was set to capture 9,000 images).