Local Students Launch High Altitude Balloon Carrying a Small Satellite

by Kira Puckett, Savanna Bennett and Eliana Johnson

At 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, the Stockbridge Special Projects Lab (formerly the Stockbridge InvenTeam) did the unthinkable. The team of 16 Stockbridge Junior/Senior High School students, ranging from eighth grade to twelfth grade launched a High-Altitude Balloon (HAB) equipped with their miniature cube satellite, the QB-Sat.

The QB-Sat is composed of 3D-printed and laser-cut parts, furnished with high-quality cameras and a miniature computer called a Raspberry Pi.

After thorough research on jet streams and possible paths of travel, the team decided to launch their HAB from Olivet High School. For the launch, the team partnered with NearSpace Education, a hands-on space education company based in Indianapolis. NearSpace’s STEM director, Brandon Pearson, worked with the students for the launch. The goal of the project was for the HAB to reach an altitude of 70,000 feet, burst at its highest point, and descend back down to Earth. While airborne, the QB-Sat, equipped with a GPS and camera module, took pictures of the curvature of the Earth. It also collected other atmospheric data such as temperature and humidity while in the air. The project exceeded expectations and reached an altitude of 91,000 feet before descending to Earth and landing near the Michigan-Ohio border, southeast of Hillsdale. .

Students in the Special Projects Lab will next travel to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida October 26-30 to participate in the Small Satellite Education Conference as they continue to prepare for the future launch of their satellite in 2023.

Photo credit: The Balloon chase and recovery team found the balloon in a farm field just north of the Ohio border in Hillsdale County Michigan. From Left to Right, Alayna Adkins, Logan Hollenbeck, Kira Puckett, Ethan Salyer, Andrew Hayes, and Savanna Bennett. Photo provided by Robert Richards