14-year-old student launches weather balloon

Brenden Geary is a very happy 14-year old.

The Upland resident and eighth-grade student at Pioneer Junior High School, successfully launched his weather balloon on Sept. 26 nearly 100,000 feet into the air.

Geary made an attempt on Sept. 11 to launch his balloon but while he and his father, Tim, were filling the balloon with helium, it slipped out of their fingers and took off.

This launch took place at Red Hill park in Rancho Cucamonga.

Attached to the balloon was a 4-pound payload he made from packaging material. Inside the payload was a GPS tracker, mini weather station and a digital camera.

Brenden captured some aerial photographs of Big Bear Lake, Catalina Island and outer space.

The payload was retrieved in Tustin off of the 241 freeway two and a half hours after the launch.

Brenden is already planning for his next project. He hopes to launch a satellite into the sky.

To view more photographs and the balloon flight path visit his Web site at http://brendengeary.squarespace.com/photo-gallery/fpf2-launch-5/