[shuttertalk]

Sounds like a publicity stunt, but Samsung is launching 100 paper planes with SD cards attached containing personal messages from people around the world. The cards will be launched from a helium balloon at 125,000 feet with the goal of proving how tough their memory cards are.

Anyone finding a plane with a memory card attached is encouraged to visit http://projectspaceplanes.com/ask to become part of this unique project. Each plane will be identified by a unique number which should be entered at the project space planes website, allowing the finder to connect with the person whose message they have found.

The paper planes have been launched from a location near Wolfsburg in Germany using a helium balloon usually used to measure weather conditions, to take them into the Earth’s outer atmosphere. They will then be released by an altimeter-controlled release mechanism and float down to earth. During their flight, the planes and memory cards will endure incredible external forces including winds of up to 200mph or higher in the jet stream and temperatures as low as -40 °C and as high as 85°C.

It looks like they're targeting recipients around Europe only but it sounds like a cool experiment. Just hope that they don't all end up in the sea...

http://www.photographyblog.com/news/sams...nto_space/


EDIT: Oops, it's 100 planes, not 100,000 ;D

[matthew]

Sounds like they're taking a page from The Register's PARIS project - paper airplane released into space - but it actually carried the camera as well as the memory card.

But as the packaging says, actual formatted capacity may be less. They're only releasing 100 planes.

[NT73]

I saw that a couple of days back. I thought it said 200 at the time, but the chances of winning the UK national lottery are probably higher.
I mean some of them may go moon-wards.
If I get one I will let you know, but having lost the camera that takes SD cards, then it may be up on e-bay.

[shuttertalk]

Oops sorry everyone, it's only 100 planes, not 100,000. Not sure where I got that from...