Science teacher Robert Striemer said conditions for the balloon launch were very challenging.

Gusting winds made it very difficult to measure correct lift, and a few teams under-inflated. Two of 12 landed in the USA. One has been located and a teacher will drive down and pick it up and provide a $100 reward.

At least 3 payloads containing cameras and student electronic experiments were not immediately found are likely on a line extending from Elm Creek, Carman, Roland, Plum Coulee, Altona. 

If you locate one of these, the school names and phone numbers are on the outside of payload/foam board boxes.

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The Elm Creek, Roland, and Carman area may have seen some balloon parachutes landing in the area around 2:30 pm on Friday.

Photo courtesy of Rob Striemer

This is part of an annual science project were schools join together to launch high-altitude weather balloons 30 km into the stratosphere.

Science teacher Gabe Kraljevic said this year the balloons are launched from Alonsa school.

"We have 13 schools from around Manitoba filling weather balloons, it's quite a sight to see, the balloons are about a meter and half across," said Kraljevic.

The science payloads contain cameras, radio equipment and science experiments. Students had to get radio licenses in order to use the equipment.

"We have radio equipment so we can track it and find it in the field," explained Kraljevic.

They are also are using software to predict where they land.

"It's just a cool integration of engineering, science... and other physics," Kraljevic said.

He adds if you find one of these parachutes, there is a label on the payload with the school name and contact information on it that you can call.