Other Details of GNO Weather Balloon
The AIAA Educator Academy is a standards-based, hands-on way to engage your students in math and science. Join other high school teachers and students in comparing your solutiions to the challenge. This is an engaging way to introduce your students to the STEM of aerodynamics. Student teams use the Engineering Design Process to produce an authentic product, in this case a space weather balloon.
We will be launching a high-altitude weather balloon in collaboration with schools to teach students physics concepts and experimental research skills, and to make space exploration accessible to students. The weather balloon lifts a specially designed payload package that is composed of HD cameras, GPS tracking devices, and other science equipment. The payload is constructed and attached to the balloon with low-cost materials. The balloon and payload will be launched with FAA clearance from the Infinity Science Center parking lot pending acceptable wind patterns and predicted safe landing locations. The balloon ascends over two hours to a maximum altitude of 100,000 feet or more, where it bursts, allowing the payload to slowly descend using a built-in parachute. The balloon's location is monitored during its flight by GPS-satellite relay. The payload is located using the GPS device, and the HD video/stills and science and engineering data are then recovered from the payload.
The developers of this curriculum module enjoyed hands-on exploration projects as students and wanted to provide similar - but bigger and better - experiences for the next generation. Project Aether was started in order to put inspiring videos of the edge of space on YouTube to reach students across the world. It was then expanded to a "concept to launch" project to involve students in the entire exploration process. This educational process has been adopted by AIAA's Space Weather Balloon curriculum module and is being expanded to a nationwide program to give students hands-on access to a totally unique environment, the edge of space.
For additional AIAA Educator Academy Curriculum Modules or to download additional resources please visit:
Other Pertinent Details:
- Each workshop attendee will be credited 6 Contact (6 CPE) hours.
- Deadline to make reservations: May 7, 2014