Photo of Earth taken from home space balloon (Courtesy: www.RobertHarrison.org / March 25, 2010)

WEST YORKSHIRE, GREAT BRITAIN -- Putting NASA and its billion dollar budgets to shame, a British space enthusiast took amazing photos and video from space with just a few hundred dollars, a home camera and a balloon.

Robert Harrison spent a mere $747 dollars to take his photos and video from 22 miles above Earth's surface.

The results are stunning.

Harrison told the L.A. Times that a NASA official who saw the photos and video called him and asked him how he did it.

Apparently NASA thought Harrison used a rocket to achieve the flight into space.

Harrison says he put a camera into a polystyrene box and attached it to a helium balloon.

The camera was programmed to snap 8 photos and a short video every five minutes.

When the balloon reached an altitude of 22 miles, it popped.

As the camera fell, a parachute opened and the box gently floated back to earth.

Harrison found his camera some 50 miles from his home with the help of a GPS locator.

If you are thinking of duplicating Harrison's feat, you may first have to get permission from the FAA.

To see Harrison's space photos and video, just go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/