This one rocks! NASA Sends Student Science Into Space – NASA

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia is scheduled to launch a sounding rocket carrying student-developed experiments for the RockSat-X mission on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

The Terrier-Improved Malemute rocket is expected to reach an altitude of about 100 miles (162 kilometers) before being parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean for retrieval. The mission launch window is 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. EDT, Aug. 13, and the backup dates of Aug. 14, 15, and 16. The Wallops Visitor Center viewing area will open at 5 a.m. for viewing to begin. A live stream of the mission will begin 15 minutes before launch on the Wallops YouTube channel. Launch updates are also available via the Wallops Facebook page. The start can be seen in the Chesapeake Bay area.

The rocket will carry experiments conducted by nine university and community college teams as part of NASA’s RockSat programs.

“The RockSat program provides unique hands-on experiences for students in developing scientific experiments and working in teams, so these students are prepared to enter STEM careers,” said Dr. Joyce Winterton, Wallops’ senior advisor for education and leadership development.

• University of Alabama in Huntsville performs two main tests:
  1. The Joint Union of Payload Information and Technology between Experiments and Rockets (JUPITER), a system integrated into the space bus that connects the experimental equipment and electronics of the launch vehicle.
  2. SwingSat will increase the level of technical readiness of the exchange tether technology in the context of the deployment of satellite groups.

• University of Alberta will demonstrate tools that characterize plasma wave activity and electron microburst precipitation, particularly by resolving relativistic and sub-relativistic electrons. The project will be able to measure magnetic plasma waves, including chorus waves and ground-based Very Low Frequency transmitters. The outcome of this mission will improve the Technical Readiness Level.

• Clemson University The experiment will measure the electron density and temperature of the E ionosphere, between 56-93 miles (90-150 kilometers).

• College of the Canyons The experiment will deploy three capsules to collect data on greenhouse gases in the upper atmosphere to help combat climate change.
• Colorado Community Collegesa collaboration between Arapahoe and Red Rocks Community Colleges, aims to examine how microgravity affects the mechanical properties of lunar regolith simulants sintered during suborbital flight. The project will also create a cost-effective star tracker using off-the-shelf hardware and open source software.

• Northwest Nazarene University tests a robotic arm that measures distance that can track and capture objects. The arm will use and catch three balls, then serve itself to re-enter, and will also take video of all catch attempts.

• University of Puerto Rico it will collect data on the atmospheric environment using humidity, temperature and pressure sensors. Using the Ultra High Frequency antenna, mobile phones will use open protocols to transmit data to Wallops stations. Uninterrupted Virtual Reality images of the aircraft will be used for STEM engagement.

• Photo by Virginia Tech The experiment tests a space tether that provides a small CubeSat with power and mechanical connectivity.

• West Virginia regional partnershipa collaboration of five universities in West Virginia, will conduct nine independent test flights for the 2024 RockSat-X project. Included is:
• • LThe Lower Ionosphere Electric Field Double Probes (LIEF), will study the plasma and electric field strength throughout the flight.
  • A mycelium properties tests that will study mycelium properties under flight conditions.
  • The flight power module will record data on the rocket and the conditions of the space flight.
  • Geiger counter to detect radiation levels during flight.
  • A thermal study will analyze heat flow during flight and re-entry.
  • A study of the effect of atmosphere on soil microorganisms during flight and re-entry.
  • Power generation uses K type thermocouples.
  • Spectrometric data and photographs of the Sun.
  • Creating a 3D model of the aircraft using LiDAR analysis and aerial data.

NASA’s Sounding Rocket Program is conducted at the Wallops Flight Facility, managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA’s Heliophysics Division manages the sounding rocket program for the agency.