2009 June High Altitude Balloon Workshop

June 2nd 2009 -- StratoStar Systems and Taylor University concluded a very successful High-Altitude Balloon Workshop funded by National Science Foundation (NSF). Attendees came from 17 institutions across the country.

The purpose of the workshop was to help professors of Undergraduate students to implement high-altitude balloon launches in to their curriculum in order to provide an exciting hands-on application of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Payloads launch on these balloons reach Near-Space at an altitudes of 65,000 ft to 110,000 ft above the Earth and gives students the ability to explore a region only accessible by a small number of scientist around the World.

At this workshop professors learned all of the different aspects of implementing high-altitude balloon launches into their curriculum including:
- Curriculum development
- Assessment
- How to launch and recover a payload
- Case studies of implementation at other Institutions
- Understanding the materials and equipment needed

Professors built payloads in teams and prepared their balloon for flight.

On the first day of the workshop 10 balloons were launched from Upland, IN.

After launching the balloons everyone jumped into the vans and headed to Ohio tracking their balloons payloads. All of the payloads were recovered as a storm approached.

StratoStar Systems and Taylor University will be hosting one more High-Altitude Balloon Workshop this summer on July 29th & 30th 2009 and there are still a few spots open. If you would like to learn more about the workshop and submit and application please go to: http://www.taylor.edu/cri/balloon/. You can also contact Jason Krueger with any questions 765-382-0451.