The thrust of curiosity that leads men to try to go where no one has gone before. (The Space thread)

[overpowered]

The fact that a latex balloon can get to 36km means that before it pops, the gas inside the balloon is enough less dense than the air around it to hold up the weight of the balloon and its payload. There's some air there. It's not much but it's enough. I realize that it's arbitrary. There's no exact spot where the atmosphere properly ends, but the Kármán line is generally accepted as reasonable by aeronautics and space organizations.

[Dicknose]

I would say that almost by definition "space" is above where a balloon can go.
Buoyancy and space don't go together.

[LHutton]

That's true enough when you look at it that way. Interestingly the US recognises anyone who goes above 50 miles as an astronaut and oddly enough the Space Treaty that protects space equipment from being shot down by rival powers doesn't actually specify an altitude but yes, 100km is the more commonly recognised divide, but some satellites get closer than that during their orbit.

[sandydandy]

New Horizons is closing in on Pluto. Very exciting. Last month it sent back a picture of Pluto and Charon. Previous to that I think the best pic they ever had was one that was heavily pixelated. The next couple of months will be very exciting.

[overpowered]

[Random]

Philae woke up.

[Godson]

!!!!!

[sandydandy]

'Pyramid' discovered on another planet.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/23/us/fea...mid/index.html

[overpowered]

http://www.businessinsider.com/photo...-mirebs-2015-6

[GB]

My son, Connor, coming in from outside: "Dad, I think I saw the rocket come back down."

Uh oh.