The following was submitted by Mark Paetkau,
Lecturer, Department of Physics

TRU physics students Adam Limber and Scott Sternig launched a high-altitude balloon in April and with it, not only completed their directed studies course, but became the first physics students at TRU to have a successful flight.

The balloon and payload reached an altitude of 98,000 feet and was recovered after returning to earth via parachute. The balloon was launched in Strathmore, Alberta and after a three-hour flight, landed 60 kilometres east of the launch site.

The students had been working on the project since September and created electronics to measure pressure, temperature and cosmic rays events, as well as a data logger to record the information.

A Go-Pro camera was also part of the payload and took some fantastic images of near space. With the success of this first flight, there are plans to create a multidisciplinary High Altitude Balloon program at TRU by building on the infrastructure created by Limber and Sternig .

HIGH FIVES
A big thanks to Prof. Norm Reed whose ham radio operator status made this mission possible.

MORE INFORMATION
Normand Fortier or Mark Paetkau in the Department of Physics at TRU.

Normand Fortier
Lecturer, Department of Physics
nfortier@tru.ca
250-828-5404

Mark Paetkau
Assistant Professor, Department of Physics
mpaetkau@tru.ca
250-828-5453