http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100325/tuk-british-balloon-man-s-amazing-space-dba1618.html

Funny, I was talking to someone only yesterday about realtors using
balloons for property photos and we wondered how high you could
get a tethered camera

This free-floating one goes to 21 miles. The balloon expands to 22m
and eventually pops. The camera parachutes back down and he tracks
a transmitter to recover it. Sounds like a fun day out

He says each 'mission' costs around UKP500, compared with 300
million for a shuttle flight. A good rate if a photo is all you wanted,
although even 500 sounds expensive. Surely the only expendable
is the balloon and gas

Not sure if I'd want it to inspire hundreds of similar school science
projects though !! 

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