University of Idaho Students to Launch NASA Funded Project
Wednesday, April 1 2009
April 1, 2009
MOSCOW, Idaho – University of Idaho’s Vandal Atmospheric Science Team (VAST) will launch the first phase of a high altitude balloon project funded by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on Saturday, April 4, at 7 a.m. The launch location will depend upon wind patterns, which cannot be accurately predicted until the days immediately preceding the launch date.
VAST is working on a project funded by NASA’s JPL to construct an instrument package to measure the stability of a small descent probe under a cross parachute. Information gained from this project could influence probe design and payloads of future NASA missions to Venus or Saturn’s large moon Titan.
The payload designed by VAST students will be flown in two phases. The first phase is Saturday’s test launch. The second phase will launch early next fall. To date, VAST has conducted more than 15 launches, flights and recoveries, achieving altitudes in excess of 100,000 feet.
VAST is a multidisciplinary project open to students of all class levels and from any discipline. The project provides valuable experience for student participants in the areas of leadership, teamwork, design, communication, and other technical areas that students can use to boost their educational experiences at the university. Many VAST members have presented results at professional scientific conferences, and have participated in summer internships with NASA. Several former VAST team members are now employed by NASA.
Idaho RISE is funded by the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium (ISGC), which is the student high-altitude scientific balloon program for the state of Idaho. VAST is the University of Idaho’s chapter of the program. The goal of Idaho VAST project is to develop the capability to design, build, test, fly and recover high-altitude science and engineering instrumentation.
A team from Moscow High School will launch their own balloon and payload at the same time and place as VAST. The VAST team has conducted six other flights with the Moscow High School in the past.
Members from both teams will track the payloads from Steptoe Butte. Other team members will be members of the launch and recovery teams. The flight can be tracked on the Internet at www.aprs-is.net/igateslive.aspx using the call signs KE7PHJ, KE7GDZ, and KE7PH.
For more information, please e-mail the student project manager Brandy Holmes, graduate student in mechanical engineering, at bholmes@vandals.uidaho.edu, or Gabe DeRuwe, the RISE System Engineer, at deruwe@gmail.com.
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About the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium
The NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium was established in 1991 as part of the NASA National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The ISGC comprises 22 institutions including all colleges and universities in the state, science centers and museums, science organizations, state departments, industry representatives, a state park, and a national monument.
About the University of Idaho
Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s flagship higher-education institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year; the University of Idaho is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Foundation ranking for high research activity. The university’s student population includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars. Offering more than 150 degree options in 10 colleges, the university combines the strengths of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.
Media Contacts: Becky Highfill, ISGC Program Coordinator, (208) 885-4934, bhighfil@uidaho.edu; or Angela Farnham-Banks, ISGC Communications Assistant, (208) 885-6030, nasacomm@uidaho.edu
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.