Every spring the open fields surrounding NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, fill with students and faculty from across Louisiana.
Preparing the Payloads
For months the teams design and build sensors, laptops and custom‑engineered payloads that must meet the rigorous standards for stratospheric flights.
Launch and Flight
When weather permits, the payloads are attached to high‑altitude balloons and ascend to roughly 35 km, where they collect data on temperature, radiation and other atmospheric parameters.
Analysis and Reflection
After recovery the data are analyzed, giving the participants not only scientific results but also valuable experience in teamwork, problem‑solving and project management.