Valparaiso University Satellite Team Holds First High-Altitude Balloon Launch
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, 150 local elementary school students visited Valparaiso University to take part in the first of three high-altitude balloon launches sponsored by NearSpace Education’s Dream Big Program and organized by a partnership between the University Departments of Geography, Meteorology, and Environmental Science; Education; and College of Engineering. Students from the University’s meteorology department played a key role in coordinating the event, creating an engaging and educational experience for the children.
“It was so much fun to work with the children who visited campus,” said Robert “RJ” Knoerr ’25, a meteorology major. “It was amazing to see all of the children’s reactions to the balloon launch and how enthused they were to be a part of it.”
Students from Beiriger Elementary School and the South Central Community Schools Corporation visited the campus not only to witness the launch, but also conduct their own experiments. Young students prepared payload boxes filled with various items—such as live plants, marshmallows, and a soda can—to observe how different atmospheric conditions would impact these objects.
“These events are so important for students to attend because it takes our abstract concepts that we discuss in class and makes them hands-on and meaningful for the students,” said Jessica Lichtenfield, a third-grade teacher at Beiriger Elementary. “These events inspire students to see what their future careers can look like and spark the interest for future decisions. The excitement students took away from our balloon launch was contagious and students were talking about how they wanted to become meteorologists and engineers when they get older.”
Valparaiso University plans to host two additional high-altitude balloon launches in the spring semester (details to be announced), providing more opportunities for undergraduate students to engage and inspire younger learners. Encouraging this kind of service and learning are two of the main pillars in Valpo’s mission, and in the University’s five-year plan Uplift Valpo: Our Beacon for the Journey Forward.
The partnership between the College of Engineering and NearSpace Education will culminate in the launch of a jointly-created satellite with an experimental payload designed and built by Valparaiso University students. To learn more about the Dream Big Program and the University’s involvement, please see the full release here.
