In addition to building satellites, Nick and students from CAPE are actively seeking future satellite builders and engineers even in elementary schools. One method of reaching these students and getting them involved in science is through the Sputnik Lite balloon launch. A small radio transmitter is attached to a helium filled party balloons and released. The transmitter then sends down pulses of RF to relay temperature information to a groundstation. Students then decode the temperature information to observe the changes in temperature over altitude.
Nick’s presentation and spreadsheet are available here: