More facts about next week's NXT HALE Launch

H.A.L.E is an event that will carry LEGO Mindstorms-based payloads into the Earth’s stratosphere. At that altitude H.A.L.E. will be above 99.9% of the atmosphere. They payloads will be exposed to extreme the cold and radiation of near space. The sky looks black and the curvature of the Earth is evident.

The launch vehicle consists of an atmospheric weather balloon and a communication system to track the payloads. Once the balloon reaches approximately 30 km in altitude, it ruptures and the payloads return to the ground under parachute.

Projected minimum altitude: 27 km (88,000 feet)
Projected maximum altitude 33 km (108,000 feet)

Video from a Prior Year's Mission

The following video was captured at the moment of maximum altitude "balloon burst".