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So, the balloon flies above 99.5% of the atmosphere, but the telescope hangs under the balloon, so it have to take photos more sideways than straight up? Got to be a lot more than 0.5% of the atmosphere in the frame then.

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This telescope will look at the same angle that a ground-based telescope would -- it's dictated by the object you want to look at.

They have a video of it launching on their instagram (superbit.telescope), it looks like it has a very long tether beneath the balloon

I found a photo also of the long tether:

https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/superbit-low-cost-ball...

So even if it can't look directly up 90°, it can probably get up to 85° vertical, so it's totally fine.

Good picture, but at least part of that length is yet-to-be-inflated balloon. I'm guessing that the thicker section is the canopy of the descent parachute, so everything above that is likely part of the balloon. Assuming it is, and the balloon inflates to a sphere with the top at the same height, it looks like the telescope can point about 60° above the horizon.

Hah, I was at CSBF for this launch (working on a different balloon payload...)

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