The project in the state of Bahia plans to launch a probe into the stratosphere to obtain photographs of the 'edge of space'. This initiative embodies the long-held human desire to explore the universe and see beyond the familiar horizon.
As part of the second phase of Project Naos, which will take place next Sunday (the 6th), a young resident of rural Bahia will send a probe into the stratosphere. The first launch took place in February 2021 over the city of Conceição do Coite.
The first apparatus ascended into the sky, overcoming about 80.4 km in approximately two hours, reaching an altitude of about 32 km—that is, in the stratosphere, a layer of the Earth's atmosphere located between 17 and 50 km above the surface. This time, the project uses a more complex probe, equipped with new cameras and systems, with the aim of reaching an altitude of 28 to 32 km to capture images of the 'edge of space.'
In the 'Olhar Espacial' program, there will be a discussion this Friday (the 4th) with the project's ideologue—a young amateur astronomer and science popularizer named Alexandre Mota. He is a member of the Brazilian Meteor Observation Network (BRAMON) and the founder of the channel Mistérios do Espaço. The discussion will cover the lessons learned from the first mission, the difficulties encountered, and the changes made for the second attempt.
The program also plans to examine processes occurring at altitudes tens of kilometers above the Earth: how the atmosphere transforms, why the curvature of the Earth becomes apparent, and what makes the stratosphere an environment different from the familiar one and more similar to space.
The program, presented by Marcelo Zurita, president of the Paraíba Astronomy Association (APA), a member of SAB—the Brazilian Astronomical Society, technical director of Bramon, and national coordinator of Asteroid Day Brazil, is broadcast live every Friday at 9:00 PM Brazilian time on the broadcaster's official channels on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and TikTok. Information about the project was first published in Olhar Digital.