Spacebits One Traditional Geocache

The goal for this project was to launch an High Altitude Balloon (HAB) with a computer probe to near space in Portugal. The Helium filled Balloon would go as high as 30.000 meters (that's about 100.000 feet), to the stratosphere, then explode and the probe would fall with a parachute and be recovered in earth.

HABs have been sent to the skies for many years by scientific institutions and universities but recently, with the advent of the Internet, cheap electronics, micro-controllers and sensors, and the DYI communities, it's been possible for any individual to build his own affordable project.

There's been several personal HABs launched through Europe and the US on the last few months, and some have hit the news and made popular.

The Spacebits 1 Balloon was launched on the 30th of May, 2010, Castro Verde, Portugal at these coordinates:

• Longitude: -8.0919
• Latitude: 37.7616
• Date: 30/May/2010, 12:00AM UTC/GMT+1 (Portuguese time)

The Cache:

This cache was placed to celebrate the first successful launch (and retrieval) of the first probe. It is placed about 150 meters away from the launch site and consists of a traditional container with the usual geocaching items.