Photo courtesy of NMSGC
The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium (NMSGC) has announced that the Third Annual Education Launch will be available to view live online on Friday, May 20. This launch and the yearlong education plan to build experiments are sponsored by NASA through the Summer of Innovation Program. Four high school experiments are supported by the New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax revenue, dedicated to supporting spaceport related education. The UP Aerospace SL-5 rocket is scheduled to launch at 7 a.m. MDT, and will be seen live on the Internet at: www.LaunchNM.com
NMSGC Director Dr. Patricia Hynes is happy to have more webcasting options than ever this year. “We’re expecting over 800 students and their families and members of the public to be on-hand to watch this year’s launch. We are privileged to share it with the world on the Internet” Hynes said. The rocket will loft 27 student experiments into space. This program provides annual access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year. Predictable access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year helps place “going to space” into the workday of the teacher in the classroom.
The student launch program was created by the NMSGC to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs for area students. Experiments include 35 sensors including electromagnetic field, carbon dioxide detectors, radiation, acceleration, temperature, pressure and electricity sensors. Descriptions of the student experiments are available online at www.launchnm.com
The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium is a member of the congressionally funded National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program that is administered by NASA and sponsored by New Mexico State University. The program promotes and inspires lifelong learning in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as it pertains to space-related activities. The consortium supports a wide range of projects and scholarship opportunities, including the Student Launch Program.
