Workshop Looks to Balloons to Explore

Aug. 23, 2005—All it took was a balloon to bring together some great minds. That and the brokering efforts of the Mid-Atlantic Region Space Science Broker (MARSSB).

Of course, the NASA balloon science workshop was focusing on something other than the balloon you blow up for a birthday party. No, these balloons might someday explore other planets.

The workshop, held Aug. 1-2 in Ithaca, NY, introduced educators to scientists with similar interests in balloon science. The New York Space Grant and the Mid-Atlantic Region Space Science Broker cohosted the workshop, subtitled, “Fostering New Research Partnerships.” The Mid-Atlantic Region Space Science Broker, which is housed at the Center for Educational Technologies®, is a resource to help bring scientists and educators together to convey NASA space science discoveries to students and the public. read more...

Workshop Looks to Balloons to Explore

Image: Workshop participants discuss scientific ballooning in one of the breakout sessions.

Aug. 23, 2005—All it took was a balloon to bring together some great minds. That and the brokering efforts of the Mid-Atlantic Region Space Science Broker (MARSSB).

Of course, the NASA balloon science workshop was focusing on something other than the balloon you blow up for a birthday party. No, these balloons might someday explore other planets.

The workshop, held Aug. 1-2 in Ithaca, NY, introduced educators to scientists with similar interests in balloon science. The New York Space Grant and the Mid-Atlantic Region Space Science Broker cohosted the workshop, subtitled, “Fostering New Research Partnerships.” The Mid-Atlantic Region Space Science Broker, which is housed at the Center for Educational Technologies®, is a resource to help bring scientists and educators together to convey NASA space science discoveries to students and the public.

The balloon science event let faculty from the mid-Atlantic area map their research and ideas to balloon science vehicles. Experienced balloon science researchers and NASA representatives participated in activities focused on NASA balloon science and related research opportunities. The activities also highlighted current suborbital research projects and facilitated new partnerships. NASA has investigated using advanced balloons to probe other planets.

The workshop was well received.

“I was a bit discouraged by the significant hurdles and barriers to mount a successful collaboration,” wrote one participant in an evaluation, “but the collaborative spirit and energy of the participants and real opportunities have encouraged me to jump in with both feet and consider the meeting a major success.”

Yervant Terzian, director of the New York Space Grant Consortium, welcomed the 30 participants. The workshop coordinators, Shermane Austin, NASA/MUSPIN (Minority University Space Interdisciplinary Network, a CUNY-wide project, with five participating colleges: CCNY, Medgar Evers College, LaGuardia Community College, Queensborough Community College, and York College), Bill Waller (Tufts University and the New England Space Science Initiative in Education), and Laurie Ruberg (MARSSB), presented an overview.  Three NASA representatives kicked off the program. Louis Barbier of Goddard Space Flight Center discussed the past and future of balloon science research. Dave Pierce of Wallops Flight Facility talked about current research, and Chuck Brodell, also from Wallops, described educational flight projects available to students.

Three Cornell University scientists followed. Terry Herter discussed multiwavelength astronomy research, Mike Kelley talked about the Cornell sounding rockets program and how to launch an undergraduate student rocket research team, and Mason Peck reviewed siting, control, and tracking systems.

Other speakers included Barry Lutz of Northern Arizona State University, who highlighted educational balloon satellite experiences for students; Shermane Austin and Leon Johnson of Medgar Evers College and Michael Fortney of the University of Vermont, who demonstrated devices and summarized launch activities conducted by the Medgar Evers College suborbital satellite program; and Malcolm LeCompte of Elizabeth City State University, who highlighted current Earth and space science projects.

Industry and nonprofit technical support representatives also spoke. Thomas Meyer of the Boulder Center for Science and Policy described Deep Space Exploration Society dish specifications and capabilities for supporting balloon missions. Tin Kam Ho of Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, provided a hands-on introduction to the MIRAGE data analysis software.

Participants took part in two roundtable sessions to discuss research opportunities, technology and engineering challenges, and strategies for organizing collaborations and partnerships.

A planned launch of a Medgar Evers College High Altitude Balloon was canceled due to the wind patterns that would have landed the balloon in a populated area.