Pictures: Discovery Launch Seen via Miles-High Balloon

All Systems Go

Photograph courtesy Quest for Stars and Challenger Center

Resembling a gadget-laden lunchbox, the payload portion of Robonaut-1 sits at the ready on February 19. Robonaut-1's official mission patch wasn't finished at the time, so the team placed a previous shuttle-mission patch in its place for the photo.

The Quest for Stars program works with middle- and high-school students to send small experiments aboard high-altitude balloons using only low-cost, off-the-shelf technology.

"Two San Diego high schools were instrumental in the design and success of Robonaut-1," Russell said. "Student involvement came in the form of payload-design improvements that included a better power source, better cameras, and waterproofing of our avionics."

The equipment was sent close to space using a helium-filled weather balloon. As the balloon soared higher, the pressure inside stayed the same as the atmospheric pressure outside decreased. Eventually the pressure difference caused the balloon to burst.

(Watch video of the Robonaut-1 balloon popping in the stratosphere.)

Published March 9, 2011

Florida Sunshine

Photograph courtesy Quest for Stars and Challenger Center

The sun shines over Chiefland, Florida, in a picture taken by Robonaut-1 shortly after its launch on February 24. Once aloft, the balloon rose at a rate of more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) a minute, according to a Challenger Center statement.

When the balloon popped, the project members used the payload's GPS and radio transmitter to track the bundle as it fell back to Earth.

"The balloon landed in the back lot ... of the Flagler County Nursery. It was dark when we got to it, and we were [unable to see it]. The next day we found it quickly," Russell said, adding that the team waited to open the payload until they could broadcast the moment to the program's followers via streaming video.

(See pictures of some of Discovery's milestone moments.)

Published March 9, 2011

Discovery's Wispy Trail

Photograph courtesy Quest for Stars and Challenger Center

Darker wisps high above Earth are all that remain of the space shuttle Discovery's exhaust plume, seen chopped up by the high-altitude jet stream in this Robonaut-1 shot from February 24. In the background, Earth's atmosphere thins into the blackness of space.

Officially the United States does not have a definition for the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space. Humans can be considered astronauts if they've flown higher than 50 miles (80 kilometers), according to NASA. The internationally recognized boundary—for record-setting purposes—is the so-called Kármán Line, at 62 miles (100 kilometers).

At about 20.8 miles (33.5 kilometers), Robonaut-1 made it as far as the high stratosphere, the atmospheric layer just above the one in which humans live.

(See "Space Shuttle Returns to Flight With Discovery.")

Published March 9, 2011

Discovery's Last Ride

Photograph courtesy Quest for Stars and Challenger Center

Condensation on one of Robonaut-1's cameras partially fogs a picture of the space shuttle Discovery's exhaust plume as it arcs into space on February 24.

The Robonaut-1 team used flight-prediction software and worked with the U.S. Air Force to make sure the high-flying craft didn't pose a danger to the space shuttle, Russell said: "Please note that crossing into shuttle airspace is a felony punishable by six years in prison and a $250,000 fine! Don't try this at home, folks."

The launch marked the start of Discovery's final mission before being retired and likely put on display. The shuttle crew spent 11 days at the International Space Station, delivering supplies and helping to install new equipment, including Robonaut-1's namesake, the humanoid robot Robonaut-2.

Discovery is slated to land at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday.

Published March 9, 2011