Walking along the water’s edge one afternoon, we found a piece of styrofoam with cable ties, shielded wires sticking out of it, and a somewhat illegible note. Of course, we took it home.

It was a little sandy. But it looked interesting. Electronic, you know?

I wanted to take it apart. Chris wanted to take it to the post-Maker-Faire Bring-A-Hack dinner. Instead we took off the note and found out what it was: NOAA Radiosonde.

It was launched on a high-altitude weather balloon for a two-hour mission that may have taken it up 35 km (~115,000 feet) and 300 km (~180 miles). Then it landed in the ocean, floated around for awhile, and eventually washed up on shore.

The illegible note turned out to be a mailing bag back to NOAA where the radiosonde can be reconditioned and flown again.

Good luck on your next mission, LMS6!