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Subscribe to RSSThey're action figures rather than real actors, and it's the stratosphere rather than outer space — nevertheless, it was a bold stroke to gather funding from Kickstarter contributors to send the captains from the Star Trek saga toward the heavens. The payoff from more than $6,000 in contributions is on view in this video from the Discovery Channel's "Daily Planet" program.
A team of engineering students from the University of Illinois, captained by Logan Kugler and Shannon Downey, pulled off the high-altitude balloon stunt on May 5. More than 150 folks contributed $6,193 through the Kickstarter website. As a result, the "Send Picard to Space" venture sent up an action-figure away team that included not only "Next Generation" Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but Riker and Data plus James T. Kirk and custom-made dolls representing "Star Trek" filmmakers J.J. Abrams and Roberto Orci.
The 90-minute flight brought the balloon-borne spaceships and their crews, as well as six HD video cameras, up to a height of about 100,000 feet before the balloon popped and the apparatus fell back to Earth for recovery. The Discovery Channel spot aired last month, and a follow-up video is being put together by Kugler's team.
In an account written for StarTrek.com, Kugler says he'll soon hand-deliver the balloon-flown action figures to their real-life counterparts in Los Angeles. "Picard and Kirk still have about 20,000 more light-years to go, but this is a start," Kugler wrote.
Balloon-enabled flights to the 100,000-foot region of the stratosphere, known as "near-space," are becoming almost routine. Such flights don't rise anywhere near as high as true spacecraft such as SpaceShipOne or the SpaceX Dragon. The internationally accepted boundary of outer space is more than three times as high: 100 kilometers, or 328,000 feet. But even at the 100,000-foot level, you get an impressive view of the earth below and the black sky of space above. For another example of the genre, check out this "First Tent in Space" video, produced last month to publicize Scotland's Vango AirBeam tents. Then click on the links below.
"Vangonaut" dolls rise to a height of 104,000 feet from the Scottish Highlands near Oban in May as part of a publicity stunt for Vango AirBeam tents.
More near-space adventures:
- Gemini capsule launched on a string
- Balloons built for future frontiers
- Teens send toy above the clouds
- Twin-balloon airship hits high frontier
- Students reach high for launch photos
- MIT acceptance letter goes to near-space
Update for 12:35 a.m. ET June 2: To get the full picture, you should check out Kugler's photo essay for StarTrek.com.
Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding Cosmic Log's Google+ page to your circle. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for other worlds.
Leave a Comment:
Way to go McLovin! Now go get your krunk on!
Nerds f'n rock, man..! Way to go fellas!
How geeky brilliant! The only thing I wish they had added is Mr. Spock. I realize he wasn't a Capt. but still it would have made the whole experiment sexy. ;-)
Actually he was captain of the Enterprise after Kirk was promoted to Admiral. Refer to Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. He retired from Star Fleet with the rank of Captain prior to becoming an ambassador.
May the gods bless you for sharing that info!
I watched a lot of re-runs but not enough to keep up. My favorite character has always been Mr. Spock though.
Just so you know that was not kirk at all , It was picard, his number 2 and data. #2 was the bearded guy in the show and movies, who was on the far right when you look at the video when it landed.
I didn't see them in space, but the video (6:22) shows Kirk, Bones and Chekhov at a landing site.
Sorry, while I saw Picard's action figure, Kirk's was not there. There was an action figure of some (poor) imposter of Kirk but it was definitely not Kirk.
Maybe, but who is it supposed to be from 6:21 to 6:23?
How awesome to see such devotion and imagination put to clever use! No doubt the actors will be surprised. These students have a promising future I hope boldly going where no man has gone before!
Let's send convicted killers to "near space" but with no parachutes..
Um, to paraphrase what Spock said about the possibility of Khan's people being sent into space as a punishment, there are cheaper ways to execute someone.
I'm not inherently opposed to capital punishment, but it's never meant to be entertainment...
I wish I had know...I would have given money.
Not even Shatner as Kirk, come on!!!
I know ....
We need a ,"do over" ....
I am a huge Star Trek fan, HUGE...but I think the time, money, and talent used for this "project" would be better put to use in feeding the hungry or giving aid to a region hit by disaster.
Its not always about feeding the hungry. Without creativity the human race is nothing. You need to get over yourself.
You speak as if no one is already doing those things...
Maybe you are wasting your time reading all these articles. Go feed someone...
I have to say, I know the guys involved in the project, including the student who owns the company which provided the equipment for the launch. I'm disappointed that his name isn't mentioned here seeing that he was the true ringleader behind the project (no offense to Logan and Shannon), but back to my point, he has been a role model for me and trust me, the money he made off of this project went directly to funding more of these projects at high schools, including mine.
That was amazing. It shows how science can be fun.
Great, but they used the image of the wrong James T. Kirk. The actor in the movie had nothing to do with the fame that show gained. That movie will be forgotten or remain as a shadow of a TV show that wrote history.
Leave me alone ok, shouldn't your name be my precious or mine? On a different note isn't that the actor that played Shatner in the new Trek movie that they used instead of Shatner?
Who knows why they didnt use Shatner. Probably due to the followups. They intend on matching up the figures with the real life actors. Shatner probably bowed out, or had a timing conflict. So they went with those they knew they could get in touch with and ensure the best possible outcome.
Have the number of actors that have played Kirk equalled the number of actors that have played Bond? Just curious!
William Shatner's "Kirk" should be on the patch.
Good for them, but not the first by far and not half as great as Lego Man in Space!! Go Canada!
No action-figures were harmed during the filming of this video.
"News reports have indicated that three figures were hospitalized with the early stages of frost bight but were later released". So xsited1, that's almost true.
Oh pooh! It didnt generate enough friction to burn up!
.
High alt. balloon tests are fascinating but they are time intensive... It is good to see young men use thier 'ahem' boundless energies for constructive (if not entertaining) pursuits.
I would comment further but... I'v been out "geeked" by this forum.
Just out of curiosity you would expect the winds to be buffeting the "tent" on the way up. Same thing with the descent it is amazing that none of the items inside were moving around specially at the point of landing impact. Video looks staged!!!
The article states, "...action-figure away team that included not only "Next Generation" Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but Riker and Data plus James T. Kirk and custom-made dolls representing "Star Trek" filmmakers J.J. Abrams and Roberto Orci." The article does not state why Shatner wasn't used.
It's people who have imagination and can create things like this that will make all the cool stuff we've seen on Star Trek a reality. Isn't this where communicaters of the the original series became cell phones of today?
Those action figures were boldly going where no action figures have ever gone before! This sounds like a stunt for "Robot Chicken".
Uh, the kid does one movie and they use his picture? The real Captain is and will always be William Shatner. At least until the kid makes a few more movies and redefines the role, for those who never saw the original.
perhaps shatner didnt want his face to be used , he has quite an ego.
As for Shatner versus the Kid. I think it should not be confused that it's characters they are portraying and they're not being themselves. It's a fictional character and yes ,they're trying to give it credence but its as is said. Fiction Story telling. If a person wants real, they should check Jimmy Carter or Abe Lincoln. A genius IQ and a Dogged determination person.(Carter was an outstanding Naval Leader and President Of US(regardless of southern or northern) and Abe Lincoln, to me says, need not say more. Despite that new zombie movie. Shatner did do some noticeable social stuff(smoking pot on TV in the '60's among them), but that's himself socially not part of his Capt. Kirk character. Of this though,Thanks. LOL