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More than 50 student and faculty teams are sending experiments into space as part of NASA\u2019s RockOn and RockSat-C student flight programs. The annual student mission, \u201cRockOn,\u201d is scheduled to launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, on a Terrier-Improved Orion sounding rocket Thursday, June 20, with a launch window that opens at 5:30 a.m. EDT.<\/p>\n
The RockOn workshop is an introductory flight opportunity for community college and university students. RockOn participants spend a week at NASA\u2019s Wallops Flight Facility, where they are guided through the process of building and launching an experiment aboard a sounding rocket.<\/p>\n
\u201cRockOn provides students and faculty with authentic, hands-on experiences tied to an actual launch into space from a NASA facility,\u201d said Chris Koehler, on contract with NASA as RockOn\u2019s principal investigator. \u201cThese experiences are instrumental in the creation of our next STEM workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the RockOn workshop experiments, the rocket will carry student team experiments from six different institutions as part of the RockSat-C program. The RockSat-C experiments are unique to each institution and were created off site.<\/p>\n
RockSat-C \u201chas been an incredible introduction into the world of NASA and how flight missions are built from start to finish,\u201d said TJ Tomaszewski, student lead for the University of Delaware. \u201cThe project started as just a flicker of an idea in students\u2019 minds. After countless hours of design, redesign, and coffee, the fact that we finished an experiment capable of going to space and capable of conducting valuable scientific research makes me so proud of my team and so excited for what\u2019s possible next. Everybody dreams about space, and the fact that we\u2019re going to launch still doesn\u2019t feel real.\u201d<\/p>\n
RockSat-C participants include:<\/p>\n
Experiments will utilize X-ray spectrometry, muon detection, and magnetometry to explore the interplay among cosmic phenomena, such as X-rays, cosmic muons, and Earth\u2019s magnetic field, while also quantifying atmospheric methane levels as a function of altitude.<\/p>\n
The ION experiment aims to measure the plasma density in the ionosphere. This will be achieved by detecting the upper hybrid resonant frequency using an impedance probe mounted on the outside of the rocket and comparing the results to theoretical models. The secondary experiment, known as the ACC experiment, aims to record the rocket\u2019s re-entry dynamics and measure acceleration in the x, y, and z directions.<\/p>\n
The Monarch3D team will redesign and improve upon a pre-existing experiment from the previous year\u2019s team that will print in suborbital space. This project uses a custom-built 3D printer made by students at Old Dominion.<\/p>\n
Project UDIP-4 will measure the density and temperature of ionospheric electrons as a function of altitude and compare the quality of measurements obtained from different grounding methods. Additionally, the project focuses on developing and testing new CubeSat hardware in preparation for an orbital CubeSat mission named DAPPEr.<\/p>\n
The Atmospheric Inert Gas Retrieval project will develop a payload capable of demonstrating supersonic sample collection at predetermined altitudes and investigating the noble gas fractionation and contamination of the acquired samples. In addition, their payload will test the performance of inexpensive vibration damping materials by recording and isolating launch vibrations using 3D-printed components.<\/p>\n
The Cubes in Space (CiS) project provides students aged 11 to 18 with a unique opportunity to conduct scientific and engineering experiments in space. CiS gives students hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of scientific and engineering principles, preparing them for more complex STEM studies and research in the future. Students develop and design their unique experiments to fit into clear, rigid plastic payload cubes, each about 1.5 inches on a side. Up to 80 of these unique student experiments are integrated into the nose cone of the rocket.<\/p>\n
The launch window for the mission is 5:30-9:30 a.m. EDT, Thursday June 20, with a backup day of June 21. The Wallops Visitor Center\u2019s launch viewing area will open at 4:30 a.m. A livestream of the mission will begin 15 minutes before launch on the\u00a0Wallops YouTube channel. Launch updates also are available via the Wallops\u00a0Facebook\u00a0page.<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s\u00a0Sounding Rocket Program\u00a0is conducted at the agency\u2019s\u00a0Wallops Flight Facility, which is managed by NASA\u2019s\u00a0Goddard Space Flight Center\u00a0in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA\u2019s\u00a0Heliophysics Division\u00a0manages the sounding rocket program for the agency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n