What you should know
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- Four Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra units were sent nearly 23 miles above the Earth using stratospheric balloons, which are made from ultra-thin plastic and filled with helium.
- Each Galaxy S24 Ultra was equipped with a core flight computer and was placed inside a protective cage, capturing over 150 high-resolution images of the Western United States during the ascent.
- The Galaxy S24 Ultra units utilized their Ultra wide-angle camera, periscope camera (delivering 5x optical zoom), and primary camera to take photos from an altitude higher than commercial aircraft and the U2 Dragon Lady flies.
- The balloons were launched from four different locations (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the Sierra Nevada mountains, and the Grand Canyon) between January 25 and January 31, 2024, with parachutes used to safely return the units to Earth.
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Full Story
Oh, get this – PetaPixel just dropped a bombshell. They’ve got the scoop on four Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra units that hitched a ride nearly 23 miles up. Yeah, you heard that right. Into the stratosphere, with those giant balloons. You know, the ones that look too fragile to touch, made of that ultra-thin plastic and pumped full of helium. Steering them? Forget about it. It’s all at the mercy of the winds up there.
So, if you’ve got a spot in mind where you want your balloon to go, it’s kinda like throwing a dart blindfolded. You’ve gotta find that sweet spot in the altitude where the wind’s just right. Each of these fancy Galaxy S24 Ultras had its own personal balloon chauffeur for the trip. Plus, there was this core flight computer tagging along with each one. Like, “Hey, I’m in charge here.”
Picture this: each Galaxy S24 Ultra, snug in a protective cage, soaring higher and higher. They reached more than 120,000 feet up. That’s over 22 miles! Still, they were about 40 miles shy of what you’d call “Space.” But hey, who’s counting?
While they were up there, floating in the near silence, they weren’t just chilling. These phones were busy snapping away. Over 150 high-resolution shots of the Western U.S. came out of this. Imagine that – using the Ultra wide-angle, that sneaky periscope camera for the close-ups, and the main camera.
Technically, they weren’t in “Space,” but let’s not split hairs. They soared higher than any commercial jet dares to fly. Even that legendary U2 Dragon Lady spy plane looks up to them. Samsung had this grand vision, see? They wanted to show off what the S24 Ultra could really do. So, they picked four spots that couldn’t be more different. Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the Sierra Nevada mountains, and the Grand Canyon.
Launch dates were set between January 25 and January 31, 2024. Each balloon had its graceful descent slowed down to a leisurely five miles per hour, thanks to parachutes. Tracking these high-flyers was key. Made it a whole lot easier to scoop them up after their adventure. And those Galaxy S24 Ultra units? Safely retrieved from their cages, ready to tell the tale of their epic journey.
