Student Experiments Will Fly Sky High In NASA Weather Balloon
CLEVELAND -- Four high school experiments will launch Thursday, May19, aboard a NASA helium weather balloon that will travel to the
stratosphere, a near-space environment 19 to 20 miles above sea
level. The high-flying event is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EDT at
Wyandot County Airport in Upper Sandusky, Ohio.
The high school student teams that designed the experiments will
attend the launch. They are the finalists in NASA's second Balloonsat
High-Altitude Flight competition. NASA's Glenn Research Center in
Cleveland hosts the national competition, which offers high school
students an opportunity to experience an authentic flight mission
from start to finish.
To attend the balloon launch, news media representatives should
contact Sandra Nagy no later than 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at
216-433-9079 or sandra.l.nagy@nasa.gov. Journalists should confirm
the actual launch date, time and location with Glenn's Media
Relations Office or by checking the Balloonsat website at:
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/
The selected teams and experiments are:
-- Charlottesville High School, Charlottesville, Va. "The Effect of
Near-Space on Solar Powered Climate Control"
-- Harding University High School, Searcy, Ark. "Measuring Gases in
the Atmosphere as a Function of Altitude"
-- Neighborhood After-School Science Association, Ava, N.Y. "Viability
of Hydroponic Gardens in Near Space Conditions"
-- North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, N.C.
"Variations in Energy Output of Solar Cells at Varying Altitudes
Compared to Weight and Cost"
Glenn scientists and engineers will evaluate each of the four teams on
active participation during the launch, research presentations and
written reports about the final results of their experiments. The
winning team will be announced on July 1 on the Balloonsat website.
In the fall, Glenn representatives will present an award to the
winners at their school.
Balloonsat and similar educational programs help NASA attract and
retain students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics, or STEM. These disciplines are critical to the agency's
future programs and missions.
The Balloonsat High-Altitude Flight competition is sponsored by
Glenn's Educational Programs Office and is funded by the Teaching
From Space Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
For more information about NASA's education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education
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