2 ms·

They have a video of it launching on their instagram (superbit.telescope), it looks like it has a very long tether beneath the balloon

• crazygringo 3y ago
  I found a photo also of the long tether: https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/superbit-low-cost-balloon-borne-telescope-rival-hubble https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/superbit-low-cost-ball... So even if it can't look directly up 90°, it can probably get up to 85° vertical, so it's totally fine.
  • dtgriscom 3y ago
    Good picture, but at least part of that length is yet-to-be-inflated balloon. I'm guessing that the thicker section is the canopy of the descent parachute, so everything above that is likely part of the balloon. Assuming it is, and the balloon inflates to a sphere with the top at the same height, it looks like the telescope can point about 60° above the horizon.
  • cozzyd 3y ago
    Hah, I was at CSBF for this launch (working on a different balloon payload...)