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Since 2011, students have participated in as many as six high-altitude balloon launches that have centered around the collection of data as the balloon ascends to altitudes upwards of 100,000 feet, and then descends back to Earth. High-altitude ballooning provides an ideal format to explore all the elements of STEM: the science behind our dynamic atmosphere, the technology to collect data and track balloon flight, the engineering of payloads to withstand flight ascent and descent conditions, and the math behind buoyancy and flight trajectory.

Parameters on which data were collected include temperature, CO2, O2, ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB), pressure, and illumination. Students then use the data to assess altitudinal and seasonal patterns and better understand the structure and dynamics of the atmosphere.

Local television and print media captured one event which kicked-off our 2013 academic school year and the inaugural STEM Introduction to Research class. Links to the coverage are provided below.