Near space begins at an altitude of approximately 20 km and extends to the Karman line at 100 km, where space is commonly accepted to begin. Weather balloons are capable of carrying small scientific payloads into near space, reaching stratospheric altitudes in the order of 30 km, and are a relatively cheap method of conducting experiments in space-like conditions. The Royal Military College of Canada (RMCC) recently incorporated a high altitude balloon mission into the Space Mission Analysis and Design (SMAD) course with excellent pedagogical results.
展开▼
