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Mechanics in space (and High School): Lego Man's balloon voyage, or Lego Man in space

Submitted by ikpuri on

For an interesting news article about the mechanics behind Lego Man's balloon voyage to space, read the Toronto Star article by Mary Ormsby. She writes, "A 1,200-gram weather balloon, the crucial role of gravity, quiver-reducing ropes, Styrofoam’s versatility, burst altitude, a University of Wyoming website and a free software program for shutterbugs were part of the formula Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad, both 17, used to launch, film and land the patriotic, flag-bearing Lego Man..."

The resulting video on You Tube has had more than a million hits over the past three days. Experimentalists will enjoy its simplicity and elegance.

Alas, the balloon-enabled space trip was also unauthorized