Galaxy S II dropped from the stratosphere returned intact, approaching the back side of launch

"SPACE BALLON PROJECT" who genuinely fly "Galaxy S II" to space and live broadcasts wish entered via SNS such as Twitter to the groundAbout two months have passed since it was done. ""Galaxy S II" which fell from the maximum altitude of about 30,000 meters is safe and is usable normallySo I asked Miyuki Takubo who is in charge of Samsung Telecom Japan PR to show the terminal of the polar specification, and looking back on the epic magnificent project this time and talking about various things.

GIGAZINE (hereinafter, G):
First of all, where was the idea of ​​this project to skip "Galaxy S II" to the universe? Just by showing in a freezer or putting it under high temperature and showing how to verify it, I think whether it has become a performance appeal, but what is the deciding factor to execute this project?

Miyuki Takubo, Samsung Telecom Japan PR (below: high):
The name of the terminal was "Galaxy" meaning "universe", and the time of planning was right after the Great East Japan Earthquake, so we planned the project from the perspective of something that could make Japan more energetic I thought. The concept is that many people can connect if you go to the universe (Galaxy).

Scene of the project under execution. The local crews who set the flight units.


This is a test launch. We do not use any machine for launch, but it is done manually.



Under the blue sky, "SPACE BALLOON" is floating in the air in a fluctuating manner.


Balloon flying easily with a fairy tale.


Crews who succeed in launch.


This is the appearance of the actual dawn done at the dawn.


Balloons that are illuminated by the morning sun and are pink are also beautiful. The screen of "Galaxy S II" loaded on the balloon launched like this,I was able to watch it from all over the country with Ustream relayThat's why.


G:
I tried recruiting messages using Twitter, Facebook, etc., and displaying it on a terminal that skipped it to the sky, but was there more on Twitter posting?

High:
Yes, in the 3 days we did the project, the related tweets rose to 78,800, and I got a lot of message posting on Twitter. Although I was thinking about using social, I did not place much emphasis on posting on Twitter, and as a result many posts gathered.

G:
What was the intention of going to ask artists to offer music?

High:
At first I thought that it would be done only with ambient sound and the background of the universe, but since it turned out that the total viewing time of the Ustream relay became more than 2 hours in total, it is hard to see through without through tickling sounds and sensibilities So I decided to stream music back.

The criteria for selecting artists is actively doing Twitter, etc, something influential on social. By the way, I heard your voice. I also asked for songs that I would like to draw, and I was also aimed at participating in projects for artists' fans with new songs as hooks.

Open Reel Ensemble who provided the original song, Mr. Rolo (Kuchiro), Miyuki Sakamoto, Mr. Kotoringo.


G:
Where did you get a special balloon called "SPACE BALLOON" that is also a project name?

High:
At first I was trying to launch it on the Space Shuttle and it was dismissed because there was no flexibility in planning and it was pretty tough on a schedule. Like Hayabusa, it is shaped like the present content with the goal of planning that you want to support.

"SPACE BALLOON" is a developer's American group "JP Aerospace"And cooperated fully in this project. Normally it is an organization that uses "SPACE BALLOON", mainly scientific experiments, but it agreed with the purpose of the project, and we decided to collaborate on the project this time.

The launch and the design of the balloon were left to the members of the expert "JP Aerospace", but since they are not professional in the field of image shooting, the shooting settings will be developed in Japan with repeated studio settings. did. The design of the balloon etc is the American "JP Aerospace" team, video and other settings are done by the Japanese team.

"SPACE BALLOON" was launched in the Nevada desert in the USA. By the way, this image is taken with Galaxy S II.


It is the feeling that it is only sand as far as you can see, but how long is it desert is that it was an environment where you found scorpions when you took a step from the dormitory.


A private car equipped with equipment for Ustream distribution was carried from Los Angeles to Nevada.


Flight units recovered during the test flight are pushed into the truck bed.


G:
Where will you find the most difficult point of being involved in the project this time?

High:
There are two, the first one is adjustment of the image. It was a cosmic background and light source, and I repeated the test in Japanese studio to reflect off the screen so that it did not go off white. In order to improve the results of the test at the studio, we performed the first launch test in early May. I tried in the meaning of confirming matters such as whether the screen looks properly on the image, whether the power does not go off when going to outer space, but at this time it fails to the full without skin. I finished with the result that Mr. saw that the screen "ha" was visible.

Even in the head of June I repeated the launch test after doing the test in the studio again, and also made Ustream's equipment work, but at that time the accuracy also got up and I approached the real situation quite a lot. After that, I focused on the part of arranging a communication environment where I can communicate live, and I was going to make adjustments in the remaining one month.

The second is the terminal temperature.I put "Galaxy S II" in the freezer and tested the operationThe reason is that as the altitude goes up, the temperature drops, and at low temperatures the battery does not work well and the terminal turns off. In order to solve this problem, we have created a number of "Galaxy S II" equipped with a heater for automatically remodeling the terminal, automatically sensing the ambient temperature and automatically maintaining the temperature.

"Galaxy S II" who actually flew in the sky. Multiple units are prepared for emergency.


Three of the "Galaxy S II" produced for the Polar that I have shown this time. I am surprised that any aircraft is safe and it works without any problems.


It is easier to understand its heavy equipment because the left side is almost exposed, the middle one is yes, right is full equipment, since it is arranging three patterns.


In order to see more in detail, I decided to disassemble full equipment. I will peel off the styrene board cut according to the size of the main body.


When it opens with a hook, it is wrapped in aluminum.



Peel off the aluminum and a thin plate of iron. The white thing painted inside is a gel for keeping warmth.


Electric heating wires incorporated in socks for cold districts are disassembled and incorporated to keep the temperature appropriate for the terminal to operate even in the sky where the minimum temperature reaches minus 60 degrees. It seems that the heating wire did not become too hot as it is automatically controlled by sensing the ambient temperature.


When removing the back lid of the main body whose hole was drilled for fixing, a gel for keeping warmth was painted also on the battery.


The back side of the battery pack did not do anything specially, and it was as it was.


The astronaut doll who was supporting the main body, its name also returned "astronaut Kun" safely.


It is about the same size as a 350 ml plastic bottle.


I hold "Galaxy S II" tightly with three points of head and hand.


The back is like this.


G:
Although it is said that the balloon was launched 5 times in total for three days from July 15th to 17th, what launch did you go to the highest point?

High:
Actually, when we combined the tests, we had launched seven times in total, and relayed five of them. Since we recorded the trajectory of the balloon measured by using GPS on Google Earth, I think that it is easy to understand by seeing this.

Actually the highest hit was the test flight on the first day, not the actual flight, the flight altitude was 30,212 meters. Since the evening climate was effective to earn high altitude, I think that the tests that went about 17:30 local time could have earned more height than the dawn that went to the dawn.

However, the actual dawn was carried out at the dawn because it was a time zone in which the image from the balloon looked the most beautiful due to the sun's light adjustment, in addition to considering the time difference with Japan, so this was inevitable part . With live broadcasting, the highest altitude was 29935 m of the launch on the second day.

The flight trajectory of the test flight on 1st day (flight altitude 32,000 meters, flight distance 121 km)


Full flight on day 1 (flight altitude 24,979 meters, flight distance 98 km, minimum temperature minus 62 degrees)


Test flight (flight altitude: 28928 m, flight distance: 125 km) conducted for the second day after the first day of production


2nd day's actual flight (flight altitude 21,535 meters, flight distance 115 km, minimum temperature minus 62 degrees)


The first flight on the third day (flight altitude 28,106 meters, flight distance 129 km, minimum temperature minus 59 degrees)


The second flight on the third day (flight altitude 6537 m * numerical value at altimeter failure, flight distance 117 km, minimum temperature minus 60 degrees)


The third flight on the third day (flight altitude 24,771 meters, flight distance 118 km, minimum temperature minus 62 degrees)


G:
Among the seven launches, which was the most successful thing?

High:
The most successful thing is the third day of the last day. Actually, I have been launching three times only on the 3rd day, but since I could relay the live submission without loss, the response on SNS was very good. Some of you captured the place where your tweet was reflected on Ustream relay, and posted it again as an icon with that image as icon, and it was in a state like a mirrored mirror.

It was scheduled to launch two in celebration as it is the last day, but when I asked those who are watching relay from the management side of the local area "Can I raise it one more time," from the audience, Regardless, "I'm waiting anytime" received a voice. I am thinking that it was not a number such as height or tweet number, but a universal travel with unity could have been made.

The climax scene of the third flight on the third day was recorded in the movie. Since it is recorded tightly until it falls to the ground, you can see how it falls slowly from the sky.

Galaxy S II crash (3rd flight on day 3) - YouTube


G:
I was watching the first launch of the day on Ustream, but I was worried about the way the balloon flew before the balloon fell to the ground, but the fallen balloon could be recovered Could it be?

High:
Yes, I collected all of them. Nonetheless, it often happened that the area chased by the car was exceeded. I took advantage of buggy, challenging by hiking in places where cars can not be added, and in the longest case I ran after 6 hours in round trip.




We rely on the map and head to the place indicated by GPS.



I fell down the rocky area this time, so I will go on foot from here.



The flight unit was rolling in the field. In the past, the crew of "JP Aerospace" went to collect the balloon in the same area in the winter season and was searching for it with a flashlight illuminating the inside of the dark, but whether the light would just arrive or not I heard that this search was quite thrilling as I heard that there were a group of wolves and that they were in a situation of conflict.


As expected the balloon was torn.


There were only fallen from the height of about 30,000 meters, and the units were almost completely apart.


But "Astronaut Kun" and "Galaxy S II" are safe. I think that it is the result of preparing strict equipment including low temperature measures etc, but I feel that it is quite miraculous that only the terminal is saved at pinpoint in this broken unit.


Although it is "astronaut Kun" who endured falling from 30,000 meters and kept holding "Galaxy S II", it is said that "astronaut Kun" with almost the same design is being made as a novelty, I showed prototype.


Tatamazu is almost the same as "astronaut Kun" actually went to the flight.


At the foot is the "Galaxy S II" logo. The pedestal is made making an image of the moon.


You can have "Galaxy S II" like this. There seems to be a considerable impact if it is around the desk. Since it is designed to fit the "Galaxy S II", it is not compatible with other smartphones, so you need to be careful.


Campaigns that "Galaxy S II" users and future buyers can apply are from the following link. "Astronaut Kun" is mass produced and it is said that it will be elected to 50,000 people, so if you are interested, you may get hit by surprising if you apply.

SPACE BALLOON PROJECT | GALAXY S II