We inch boldly closer to space...

I've just finished a phone conference with Josh, 21, from Surrey, who is the 'space balloon' expert I hope will be sending the next swapper's payload of choice into space.
I say 'conference' because it sounds dynamic and serious and, let's face it, you don't just 'chat' about spaceflight.
To be honest I hung up without really understanding half of what he said. The sentences were peppered with big words like 'telemetry', 'extrapolation' and 'helium'. But, what I could gather was that Josh is a very serious and focused young man and if anyone can realistically get our next swapper into space, by golly, it was him.
As he discussed the risks involved, my brain played The Dambusters theme tune and I imagined him smoking a pipe and jabbing it at a space map to emphasise his words.

Here's what I did understand. If this swap is agreed, blast off (float off?) will take place in Cambridge, UK, the space balloon and payload will hopefully rush up into the sky, brush the fringe of space at around 100,000 to 120,000 feet, it will pop and then return to earth for retrieval. Yep, if all goes to plan you could possibly have your (small) object of choice in space. Hopefully there will also be footage of the epic voyage and an as-yet, top secret experiment in which Josh will be "attempting to produce an artistic piece of work in near space". Beats me what that means too!
I won't kid you. The risks involved are not small. Cue The Dambusters...a bird may peck at the balloon, it could be shot down by an angry farmer or, heaven forbid, the Almighty, in all his infinite wrath, may strike down our impudent space balloon with a thunderbolt.

But hey, cheer up, them's the breaks!
No. Let us not dwell on the 'what ifs'. Let's allow Josh the space balloon expert to run through the 'telemetry', 'extrapolate' a possible arc of flight and source some 'helium'. Here's his website so you can see for yourself that he's the real deal:Joshingtalk.com.

As much as I'd like to rush this swap, just like love, you can't hurry spaceflight. (Sorry about the Phil Collins joke).

Yours in swapping and spaceflight,
Grahamx
Ps if you want to send a small object 100,000ft up only to have it plummet back to earth, please email me with the details of your trade onepinkhairclip@hotmail.co.uk

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