Did you know the Grand Canyon is visible from the stratosphere? A space balloon captured it in 2013, and the footage is just as incredible today as it was then.
Considering Grand Canyon National Park spans over a million acres, it should come as no surprise that the vast, rocky terrain is visible from space.
YouTube/Bryan Chan As obvious as this tidbit of knowledge may be, few among us have actually seen an extraterrestrial view of our state’s most iconic landmark.
In June of 2013, Bryan Chan and friends launched a “space balloon” to capture video of the Grand Canyon from nearly 100,000 feet above the ground.
YouTube/Bryan Chan The footage was tragically lost, but a hiker stumbled upon it two years later.
The flight only lasted about 90 minutes, taking off just a few miles from Tuba City.
YouTube/Bryan Chan A GoPro and Sony Camcorder were taking video, while a Samsung Galaxy Note II snapped still images.
Amazingly, GPS can log the location of a phone above 100,000 feet!
YouTube/Bryan Chan This is how space balloons are able to be tracked for retrieval upon returning to Earth.
Somehow, the Grand Canyon manages to wow us just as easily from space as it does in person.
YouTube/Bryan Chan The fact that it’s so apparent from this high up shows just how massive the natural wonder truly is.
Just look at those beautiful ridges!
YouTube/Bryan Chan As if there weren’t already enough reasons to love Arizona, this vantage point gives us desert rats a whole new appreciation for the state we call home.
Here’s an overview of the flight path. The balloon surprisingly didn’t stray too far during its time in the stratosphere!
YouTube/Bryan Chan
Check out the entire video by Bryan Chan:
YouTube/Bryan Chan
As obvious as this tidbit of knowledge may be, few among us have actually seen an extraterrestrial view of our state’s most iconic landmark.
The footage was tragically lost, but a hiker stumbled upon it two years later.
A GoPro and Sony Camcorder were taking video, while a Samsung Galaxy Note II snapped still images.
This is how space balloons are able to be tracked for retrieval upon returning to Earth.
The fact that it’s so apparent from this high up shows just how massive the natural wonder truly is.
As if there weren’t already enough reasons to love Arizona, this vantage point gives us desert rats a whole new appreciation for the state we call home.
Are there any other landmarks in Arizona that are visible from space? If so, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Check out our previous article to learn more about the Grand Canyon: Here Are 12 Incredible Things You Need To See And Do At Arizona’s Grand Canyon.
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Address: Grand Canyon, Arizona 86052, USA
