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KERMIT Comet

by Jamie Bryant, Director of Marketing & PR
If you haven’t heard of the Kermit Comet, you surely will because this video is bound to go viral!
 
CCES eighth graders Thomas Brackbill and Liam Mecklenburg had an original idea to send a stuffed Kermit the Frog to space on a weather balloon and take some pictures of the earth. The boys were in charge of the project from start to finish. They funded the project with $50 each and told their friends about the idea, rounding up $10 donations from Jack Hovart, Alex Eastland, Walker Hronchek, Chandler McMaster, Andrew Mahaffey, Blakely Kehl, Wilke Cobb, Hudson Adams, Frank Foster, Seth Gordon, and Will Jennings to complete the funding for this expensive experiment. All of their friends that donated were able to come to the launch, watch Kermit go up. And then help to retrieve him.
 
Thomas and Liam did extensive research to find exactly what supplies they needed. They used a Styrofoam cooler that held a GoPro camera and an advanced GPS (which they had to buy). They also purchased a quality weather balloon and parachute from High Altitude Science. Michael Hronchek, current parent of fellow eighth grade student Walter Hronchek, helped the boys out with helium and some of the expensive GoPro Hero 5 equipment, but this was the only involvement in this project from an adult. The total project cost was about $400 (not including the helium).
 
Thomas calculated where Kermit would land, the burst altitude, the flight time, and how much helium they would need.  The boys researched videos on how to assemble the project, and then they were ready to launch. The Kermit Comet launched this past weekend from Cleveland Park. Liam had some Funyuns with him, so they placed one in Kermet’s mouth for fun. Boys will be boys! They never expected the Funyun to fly all the way with him!
 
After Kermit was sent up, the crew followed it using the GPS, driving about two hours and ending up 80 miles from home near Shelby, NC in someone’s backyard goat pen. Kermit was retrieved and the boys were pleased to see that nothing was damaged in any way (except the balloon of course).  “All of us had a great time at the launch and the search party,” said Thomas. The balloon had a flight of about two hours and reached a max altitude of about 90,000 feet! Because of the success of this, we hope to do more launches in the future.”
 
We can’t wait to see what they think of next.

Click here to watch this 9 minute video of the Kermit Comet soaring up to 90000 feet.  Follow fly_kermey_fly on Instagram for more pictures and information on his journey.
 
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Date Posted Arrow down
  • kermet the frog
    3/7/2023 @ 12:34 PM
    its nice up here
  • Kristen DiBattista
    4/22/2018 @ 8:57 AM
    Now that is cool!

    • a Styrofoam cooler held a GoPro camera and an advanced GPS

    • the launch

    • Kermet en route

    • Kermet at his max altitude of 90,000 feet

    • the flight path

    • the team retrieves Kermet in Shelby, NC

Christ Church Episcopal School (“CCES”) admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at CCES. CCES does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid, scholarship or other programs, or athletic or other school-administered programs and activities.