Talks to Watch

Egg Drop From Space

153.1M views · Nov 25, 2022 · 26:57 · 0 HN recommenders · 4 mentions · discussed 2023–2025

Mark Rober and Joe Barnard drop an egg from a high-altitude balloon, using a camera-guided glider to steer it to a safe landing.

Why Hacker News points people here: Used as an example of how easy homing and guidance have become, resembling precision-guided munitions.

“Mark Rober et al tried to do an egg drop from space only to realize they were essentially creating precision-guided missiles.”HN comment, 2025

What Hacker News said 4

Cites itjebarkerApr 2023

“it was Mark Rober's egg drop from space”

Egg drop from space whose guidance resembles precision missile tech

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There's a whole sub-genre here of projects that would be (wisely) dismissed because they would land you in jail rather than their technical difficulty I suppose. I recall recently seeing a rocketry hobbyist realize their landing guidance tech is essentially the same as precision missile guidance and best not to make open source. EDIT: I just remembered, it was Mark Rober's egg drop from space [1] [1] this video

in “Second IC – Homemade 1000 transistor array chip” · view on HN
Cites itbayindirhMay 2024

“You can use homing algorithms to land an egg [0] or a bomb.”

Example of homing algorithms landing an egg from space

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Because some information is multi use. You can use Aspirin precursors to make heroin. You can use homing algorithms to land an egg [0] or a bomb. I also want to set all information free, but not everyone will be ethical or responsible with it. Because while the idea (of setting all the information free) is nice, unfortunately the idea involves humans. [0]: this video

Cites itmavamaartenJan 2025

“It was launched from a weather balloon, and it was both Mark and Joe.”

Weather balloon egg drop with camera-guided glider

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I remember watching a video about a dude who was building a mothership-launched glide drone that could land using camera vision. The idea was something like "the highest egg drop" or something like that. He was speaking with academics about his idea, who quickly told him to stop whatever he was doing because that would effectively be a forbidden military device. Guided artillery, basically. Sadly I don't remember who it was, it was a fun story. I thought it was maybe Mark Rober or Joe Barnard but I really can't find it anymore. Edit: found it! It was launched from a weather balloon, and it was both Mark and Joe. this video

in “Celestial Navigation for Drones” · view on HN
Cites itbikeshavingNov 2025

“Mark Rober et al tried to do an egg drop from space only to realize they were essentially creating precision-guided missiles.”

Egg drop from space accidentally resembling guided missiles

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It’s funny when engineers accidentally create/recreate weapons of war to scratch an itch. Like when Mark Rober et al tried to do an egg drop from space only to realize they were essentially creating precision-guided missiles. this video

in “The overengineered solution to my pigeon problem (2022)” · view on HN