The Icarus Project

Icarus III Launch 2

Robert Harrison — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:19:26 +0000

Hi all, well it's been a while and there are a whole lot more people doing this now. Icarus III launch 2 is a commercial launch and will be appearing on the BBC in the autumn. I can't tell you too much more about it that that at the moment but we should be getting some great footage back from the launch as we are sending up 6 go-pros cameras in two separate payloads ie 3 in each. I will tell you all more if I can get clearance from the BBC.

Icarus II Launch 4 – Boston Spa Infinity 2011

Robert Harrison — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:27:23 +0000

There will be a launch for Boston Spa school tomorrow morning at 14 July 2011

Icarus III Launch 1

Robert Harrison — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:28:48 +0000

There will be the first launch of Icarus III this weekend.

Launch EARS @ 09:00 UTC

This was a great launch and tested the new rotating payload I made.

A logo for the Icarus Project

Robert Harrison — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:58:36 +0000

Italian designer Ruben Frosali kindly designed a logo for the Icarus Project.

Ruben is based in Japan and works as a freelance designer and is based in Japan.

Icarus II Launch 6 – Ash Cloud Observation Attempt

Robert Harrison — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:10:20 +0000

Well this turned out to be a failure. The power save feature on the camera activated before launch and the a camera turned itself off before launch. So no pictures payload .

However on a slightly more positive note Neil managed to video the balloon from launch to burst which is a first for the UK High Altitude Balloon group.

A poem by Elvis McGonagall

Robert Harrison — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 10:10:11 +0000

Flight of Fancy

Tethered to earth by gravity’s guy-ropes
Trudging out from primordial sludge
Sleepwalking down the years in deep-sea divers’ boots
Nose to the grindstone we endlessly drudge
Oh would that we could fly like Icarus (but without his wings of wax)
To ascend unto the heavens like a beautiful balloon
Up, up and away above the cloud-capp’d steeples
Oh to soar above the sun and put a girdle round the moon
To hover over stars as bees to flowers in a garden
To clutch the floating firmament in outstretched hand
To drift like thistledown across the boundless universe
To see the world as a tiny grain of sand
To behold the bigger picture, to watch our planet fade from view
To wonder why we keep its petty pace
A bright blue spinning dot in a kaleidoscope
Lost in time and space
To feel how flimsy is the fabric of Man’s pageant
How slight every worry, every grievance, every care
To realise that “Wayne’s Sprained Ankle Pain” will not be front page news
on Mars
To hear each passing frenzy’s empty echo in the air
Then to gently drop deflated from such dizzy, giddy heights
Back with a bump to our daily, earthbound strife
To know we can but only laugh at this glorious, cosmic joke
And breathe in deep this fleeting moment we call life

by Elvis McGonagall for “BBC Radio 4 Saturday Live” 3/4/2010

Iñaki Docio – Panorama

Robert Harrison — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:38:47 +0000

Here is some amazing work done by Iñaki Docio with the images from Icarus II Launch 3.

The picture below shows The Thames esturay going into the channel. On the bottom left you can see France on the other side of the channel.

Click on the image to view in a new window at it's original size.

Media Interest

Robert Harrison — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:21:32 +0000

I seem to have got a bit of interest from the media over the last few days.

I'm glad everyone enjoyed the pictures and video.

Pictures can found here on flickr

Please let me know where you read about this project ideally by leaving a comment below or emailing me see contact details menu

Icarus III Payload Construction

Robert Harrison — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:43:16 +0000

Get the payload the right way around

Thoughts on picture sequence.

Launch Button

Pyro Cutdown & Parachute Deployment

Landing

World record altitude attempt

Robert Harrison — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:51:07 +0000

Launched Icarus II on its 5th mission to make an attempt for an altitude world record, sponsored by The Sun Newspaper as part of their 40th Anniversary celebrations. Unfortunately this attempt was unsuccessful due to extremely strong winds causing the balloon to burst early though some good pictures and video were recovered.

The landing was mildly interesting due to it being 15 meters up a tree.