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Depends on your payload weight. Some random searching found a 300g payload baloon for USD$30[1]. That excludes filling costs and other bits. Anyone stupid enou

Depends on your payload weight. Some random searching found a 300g payload baloon for USD$30[1]. That excludes filling costs and other bits. Anyone stupid enough to do it without following FAA rules (assuming launched in the US) is going to find themselves in some serious trouble. [1] https://www.highaltitudescience.com/collections/all https://www.highaltitudescience.com/collections/all

blululu 4y ago
The helium is generally the biggest cost for a launch. You generally need welding grade helium instead of the party balloon variety which costs more. The price fluctuates a lot because of some complicated economics related to natural gas production, but getting that high can easily set you back $400.
- graz 4y ago
  Why not hydrogen instead of helium? It's much cheaper and lighter.
  - pard68 4y ago
    If I recall rightly, hydrogen leaks out of the balloon so fast because of the change in pressure at high altitudes. Not a problem at lower ones, but way up I seem to recall that it is.
    - ComputerGuru 4y ago
      Funny because helium leaks out faster than hydrogen under regular conditions, being smaller in practice.
  - cmeacham98 4y ago
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster In all seriousness, I have no idea.
    - graz 4y ago
      This is an unmanned device so it doesn't have the same safety concern. Also at the cruising altitude there is so little oxygen it's probably as safe as helium at that altitude.
      - cmeacham98 4y ago
        Sorry, maybe it wasn't obvious enough the first part of my comment was intended as a joke?
  - hazbot 4y ago
    In Australia we use hydrogen in our weather balloons. It’s essentially a safety/cost trade-off.
  - superkuh 4y ago
    Methane has a decent amount of lift, it's relatively cheap, and it stays in the envelope.
- tomcam 4y ago
  > getting that high can easily set you back $400 Thank heavens pot is legal in so many states now

blululu 4y ago

The helium is generally the biggest cost for a launch. You generally need welding grade helium instead of the party balloon variety which costs more. The price fluctuates a lot because of some complicated economics related to natural gas production, but getting that high can easily set you back $400.

graz 4y ago
Why not hydrogen instead of helium? It's much cheaper and lighter.
- pard68 4y ago
  If I recall rightly, hydrogen leaks out of the balloon so fast because of the change in pressure at high altitudes. Not a problem at lower ones, but way up I seem to recall that it is.
  - ComputerGuru 4y ago
    Funny because helium leaks out faster than hydrogen under regular conditions, being smaller in practice.
- cmeacham98 4y ago
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_disaster In all seriousness, I have no idea.
  - graz 4y ago
    This is an unmanned device so it doesn't have the same safety concern. Also at the cruising altitude there is so little oxygen it's probably as safe as helium at that altitude.
    - cmeacham98 4y ago
      Sorry, maybe it wasn't obvious enough the first part of my comment was intended as a joke?
- hazbot 4y ago
  In Australia we use hydrogen in our weather balloons. It’s essentially a safety/cost trade-off.
- superkuh 4y ago
  Methane has a decent amount of lift, it's relatively cheap, and it stays in the envelope.
tomcam 4y ago
> getting that high can easily set you back $400 Thank heavens pot is legal in so many states now